Miss Delaney, Where's Your Boyfriend?
by imma1pirate1argh
Summary: Oh, Miss Delaney where's your boyfriend? He isn't up in heaven, so why treat him like he's dead? Full summary can be found inside. Completed.
1. chapter one

**Summary** - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else. This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple, my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

**Disclaimer** - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.

**Prologue**

It had been almost one year and that stupid leather jacket still smelled like him; like soap, leather, and just him. Why? It had been almost one year and he was still gone. She had expected him to fight his way out, fight his way back to herself, and Sam. He had said he would always be there to protect the two of them. Why had it taken him so long?

From the beginning, Apple had had a feeling that he was not come back. As much as she had wanted to believe him, she knew. Still, had tried to have faith. After everything they had been through together, how could she even begin to have faith? The man she had loved was taken from her just three months after having met him and his brother. Would you be able to have faith after that?

The look she and Sam had shared after they realized he was not coming back was burned into her brain. When they had both realized his chest was not moving up and down as it should have been, and those brilliant emerald eyes were not shinning as they had for so long, it hit them. Their world had ended.

_**this could be a brand new start  
**_Chapter One_**!**_

Apple was not exactly the best hunter in the world. She was clumsy as hell and that was often a liability. At least that was what her family had impressed on her. They had ditched her after her twenty-second birthday and for some reason Apple didn't mind that much. She knew it would happen. She and her family were different. While they were steadfast in their hunts, always sure to get in and get out as fast as possible, she took the time to check on the families that suffered through loss and was always sure to be thorough with her research. Her family didn't care. They wanted to get the job over and done with so they could move on. They treated her like she was always in their way, like she was never able to keep up with them.

She let out a sigh as she wandered the roads at ten in the morning and looked for a ride. She hated when she had to hitchhike. Mainly those that stopped were greasy old truck drivers who looked for an innocent girl to take advantage of. Well, that was what Apple had experienced. But they always drove away with a nice broken nose or black eye to remember her by. She was sure that was not the 'good time' they had been looking for.

Apple sat down on the side of the road and let out a groan. She was tired, exhausted. She more then anything wanted a bed to sleep in already, even if it was one in a crappy motel room one. She hated being on her own. Maybe that was a lie, but it could get pretty lonely. At least with her family she had someone to talk to, even if they had secretly conspired to ditch her first chance they got. Some family right? Whatever, Apple did not care anymore. She could do better on her own; everyone else would know it too. If only she could get someone to take her somewhere close to the town her next hunt was in.

Apple settled down on the soft grass and had used her backpack as a pillow. She hoped to get maybe an hour or two of sleep in the cool shade of a grove of trees. It felt good to get a little bit of rest. Her eyes closed and she let out a soft breath. The sound of the grass being moved by the wind was what lulled her to sleep.

**& &**

Sam rested comfortably in the passenger seat of the Impala. The breeze from the rolled down windows felt pretty good against his face. His hazel eyes watched the trees as they passed by them. They were moving so fast they all looked like blurs; towering green and brown blurs. He looked over at Dean and laughed at the way his brother met his gaze with those goofy sunglasses he so often wore and gave him a toothy grin. He was so carefree in the black, '67 Chevrolet Impala. Sam turned his gaze back to the window and that was when he spotted something person-like in a field of grass beneath a cluster of trees. It did not move at all and that made him tell Dean to turn the car around.

Neither of the Winchester boys were sure of what it was. Dead body, or tired bum?

**& &**

**"Can I poke her with a stick?"** A deep voice asked in almost a whisper. What the hell?

**"Dean! You cannot poke her with a stick. Dean! Put the stick down." **Yet another voice replied, this voice just as quiet as the first. Something gently prodded at her side. Had he seriously poked her with a stick? Again, what the hell?

Apple lowered her sunglasses and turned over. **"Can I help you with something?"** she asked as she quirked a dark colored eyebrow at the two rather attractive men. They both seemed surprised at the fact that she had spoken to them. Had they seriously thought she was dead?

**"From the looks of it, I think we should be asking if you need the help,"** the shorter one of the pair shot back. Apple looked him over. She took in his emerald colored eyes, his close cropped hair that seemed almost blond in the light but she determined it was more of a light brown color. He was well built, and had an air of confidence about him that Apple found to be impressive.

Apple climbed to her feet and brushed the grass off of her jeans before she straightened her shirt. She bent down and picked her bag up, as well as her backpack. She threw the latter over her shoulder. Again, she eyed the pair. Curiosity was in her eyes. Why had the guys stopped? It dawned on her then, from where she had been laid out, anyone would stop. There was reason to suspect she had been hurt or something along those lines.

**"What are you doing laying out here in the middle of nowhere?"** the other man inquired. Apple turned her attention to him now, looking him over. He was the taller of the two, and instantly reminded her of a puppy dog. His eyes were a nice mixture of brown and green and his hair was shaggy, bangs hanging slightly into his eyes. To Apple, he looked kind and caring, something his brother didn't seem to let off.

**"Well..."** It occurred to her that the three of them hadn't introduced themselves yet. She looked at the taller one expectantly. Apple waited for him to introduce himself and the shorter man first. They were the ones that had stopped after all, there was no way she was going to release her identity to them first.

Sam looked at the brunette woman for a minute, puzzled, before the other man elbowed him. Then it clicked, she was expecting him to tell her their names. He felt like an idiot for a second before he offered her a smile to apologize. **"Oh right. Sorry, I'm Sam and this is my older brother Dean."**

**"Nice to meet you Sam and Dean. I'm Apple."** The brothers exchanged a look as she spoke her name. Apple was used to this kind of thing. It was an odd name to give a kid after all. She smiled at the boys before she spoke again. **"I was hitchhiking actually. But I didn't see any cars coming and I'd been walking for most of morning. I just decided to take a little nap, until one of you poked me with a stick."** Apple looked pointedly at Dean before she chuckled.

Sam shared yet another look with Dean before he placed his hand on Apple's shoulder. **"Where are you headed to?"**

**"Brower County, actually."**

**"Well it just so happens we're headed to Brower County. Want a lift?"**

Apple weighed her options for a minute. She had three choices: walk all the way to Brower, ride with the two boys, or take her chances with having to find another ride. They didn't seem that bad, or like they might give her any trouble. **"Alright. Suppose it couldn't hurt."** She smiled and adjusted her bags once more, **"Thanks."**

**& &**

Apple swore her heart skipped a beat when her eyes came to rest on the '67 Chevy. Her fingers lightly ran over the shiny black paint as she let out a low whistle. **"Quite a car you have."**

**"Don't even get him started. It's his baby."** Sam said, knowing exactly what Dean had been ready to say. Dean smiled and looked a little smug as the three climbed into the car.

**"So why are you two going to Brower County?"** Apple asked as she made herself comfortable in the backseat.

**"Oh just a job."** Was the reply she received from Sam as he read over a map spread out across his lap and his part of the dashboard.

**"Ah."**

Apple sat quietly in the backseat and watched as the trees and tall grass blurred as they drove along the dusty, abandoned stretch of highway. It occurred to her that she hadn't caught the boys' last name. She knew it really wasn't something she should need to know, but she couldn't help but be curious. **"You know, I didn't catch your last name."**

Sam turned around in his seat so he could look at her, an eyebrow raised in question. He wrestled around in his mind whether to give her their actual last name, or create a fake one. He finally decided to just give her their real one, there was a greater chance she hadn't heard of them anyway. **"It's Winchester, Sam and Dean Winchester."**

Her face paled slightly at the name. Winchester, she had heard the name before. Her parents had mentioned that name; multiple times. There had been another name thrown into the mix. Dean, Sam, and... What had that last name been?

**"You alright Apple? You don't looks so good."** Sam asked, concern written on that handsome face of his.

**"Hey. Not on the upholstery alright?"** Dean threw in. Of course, he was more worried about his car getting messed up then a girl who may or may not be sick.

Sam shot a look at Dean. Apple's mind reeled as she attempted to figure out what the first name was. It was on the tip of her tongue. Joe. Jason. John... Was that it? John Winchester. A look of triumph crossed her face as she finally remembered. **"John Winchester,"** she said after a few quiet minutes. They probably thought she was retarded

As soon as the words left her mouth, Dean pulled the car over and both men turned to face the small girl, guns trained on her. Apple pulled out her own gun and pointed it in Sam's direction. Why she didn't train it on Dean, she wasn't sure.

**"Why are you asking about our dad?" **Dean asked. The gun in is hand never shook, and his eyes didn't look away from her.

Apple took this time to watch the fire burn in Dean's emerald eyes. It was more then obvious he didn't like anyone to mess with his brother. She felt bad about her gun being pointed at Sam. Slowly, she lowered her weapon and placed it on the seat beside her. Apple raised her hands in the air in a show of surrender. **"Oh come on. You should know by now. John Winchester is a legend in the hunting world."**

Dawning rose on both men's faces; that would explain the gun. **"Hunting world?"** Dean questioned. He knew that women got into the world of hunting; their friend Jo had been proof of that. The petite brunette in front of them hardly looked the part though. **"You're not sayin'..."** he trailed off, already knowing the answer.

**"That I'm a hunter? How else would I know about your father and the two of you? That information isn't something civilians know is it?"**

Sam shook his head no. He was just as shocked as Dean. He lowered his gun and nudged his brother. His hazel eyes watched as Dean finally lowered his weapon. Her revelation explained so much. **"So that's why you're heading to Brower County."**

**"Yep. Dexter Hasselback."**

**"How did you find out about him?"**

**"I hear things."** She smiled over at Sam before she went back to gazing out of the window and away from the two brothers. She let out a soft sigh as both brothers turned back around in their seats. The sound of the Impala roaring to life broke the tense silence. Dean pulled back onto the road and took off. It seemed for it to take a while before the tension in the car completely subsided. Apple let her head rest against the cool glass of the window as she watched trees turn into blurs as they drove past them once more. She closed her eyes and allowed the sound of AC/DC to finally lull her to sleep.

_**[be still my heart - the postal service]**_


	2. chapter two

**_pulled my trigger, now he's dead_**

**Chapter Two_!_**

Once the boys had been sure Apple had fallen asleep they had discussed their new traveling pal. Both had been kind of weary of her, but Sam had still felt like they could trust her. While Dean had usually tried to trust his little brother's feelings he still found himself to be unsure. There had been something about her that made Dean kind of weary. When they had picked up the petite girl, it had felt as though something more were coming with them. It had been as as if something big were about to happen because of her. He had had no way of knowing what though, so he had attempted to brush it off as paranoia.

**]"I don't know Sammy. Don't you think it's a little weird just happening to see her taking a nap on the side of the road?"**

**"Dean, we've been stranded on the side of the road too, you know? Hell, I've tried hitchhiking before."**

**"That's not the same Sam. You can't always trust girls you meet on the side of the road. Hello, Meg ringing any bells in that head of yours?"**

**"Okay, you don't trust her, I get that. So, we'll make her drink holy water, if she reacts to it like a demon then problem solved."**

Dean had let out a sigh and ran a hand over his face before he had looked over at his younger brother. Sometimes he had felt like he was talking to a brick wall.** "Fine Sammy,"** Dean had answered a few moments later.

X - X - X - X

**"Apple. Wake up."**

Something had once again poked her side. Seriously? There had been no need for him to continue poking her. **"We there?"** she had asked, her voice had sounded a little raspy.

**"Yeah. Come on. We got a room already."**

She had climbed out of the Impala and taken a moment to stretch. Once that had been accomplished she looked to Dean who stood and waited. She had tilted her head to the side as she studied him. After a few more moments had passed, Dean had turned from her and walked into the motel room. Apple's fingers hand had run through her fingers as she followed Dean's path.

**"You thirsty?"** Sam had asked her once she had entered the room.

He had tossed a bottle of water her way and Apple had reached out and caught it. It was as she had been unscrewing the top that she had noticed the protective seal was already broken. **"What'd you do to it?"** she had asked, an eyebrow drawn up in question.

**"What do you mean?"** he had asked as he feigned innocence.

**"The seal was broken. What'd you do to the water?"**

He had looked at her for a moment before he had looked at Dean, his eyes had pleaded for help. Dean had simply shrugged his shoulders; he always had loved to watch his brother squirm. Oh the joys of being an older brother. Sam had always been able to lie to everyone, it had just been a part of the job. It had been kind of funny that he could not lie to this particular stranger, well at least Dean had thought so. It had looked as though Sam's resolve had finally vanished because he shrugged his shoulders and had given Apple that patented puppy dog look of his. **"We just had to make sure you weren't a demon, so we blessed the water."**

Apple had looked semi amused as she took a sip of the water. She had guessed you could not be too careful when you were a hunter, especially if you were the Winchesters. Every demon had seemed to be after the pair. **"It's alright. I understand."**

**"So I'm hungry. Sammy, get us some sandwiches."** Dean had said from the bed he had moved to. His body had been laid out on the bed, he looked as though he were the picture of ease and relaxation. Dean had reached into his pocket and threw the Impala's keys to Sam before he rested his hands behind his head.

Sam had heaved a sigh before he had caught the keys and walked out of the motel room. Apple had not been able to stop herself from laughing at the scene. She had walked to her bag and picked it up as Sam closed the door and headed to the bathroom to change. She had wanted out of the jeans that confined her lower body. After she had fished out a pair of boxers, a black muscle shirt, and put her hair up into a ponytail, she had looked at herself in the mirror. Not too bad. She had only needed to wash her face and she would be good to go.

**"I forgot what having a girl around was like. Hours in the bathroom,"** Dean had remarked as Apple had stepped out of the bathroom.

**"That was like, ten minutes tops."** She had shot back as she stuck her tongue out at him. She had walked to the bed opposite Dean's and had sprawled out on it.. It had felt so good to be in a warm bed. Apple had snuggled up to one of the pillows as she watched Dean mindlessly flip through the television channels. Nothing had seemed to be on.

X - X - X - X

Apple had not even remembered her eyes closing, or falling asleep.. At all. But somehow she had ended up on Dean's bed, underneath the covers, while Sam slept in the bed she had originally been in. He had shot out of bed and had turned his hazel eyes to the alarm clock. Both Apple and Sam had looked over at Dean as he tied the laces on his boots.

**"Rise and shine Sammy, Apple."**

Sam had looked over at Dean, almost appalled at the fact that Dean was so chipper so early. Usually, he had been pretty dead to the world until he had his coffee. **"Asia?"** Apple had asked as her blue eyes moved to the alarm clock in shock. She had not heard that song in forever.

**"Yeah, come on. You guys love this song, and you know it,"** Dean had said. He had nodded his head in time with the beat as he mouthed the words. Apple had thrown a hand over her mouth as she had tried to fight back a laugh. He had been such a nerd.

**"Yeah, and if I ever hear it again I'm gonna kill myself,"** Sam had replied with a scoff as Dean turned up the music.

**]"What? I'm sorry, I can't hear you."**

Apple and Sam had exchanged a look and laughed. What the hell had gotten into Dean? As Sam had climbed out of bed, Apple had laid back down. She had watched as Sam grabbed a shirt and jeans before he had met his brother in the bathroom to change and brush his teeth. Apple had not been able to fight the feeling of belonging. It had been like being a part of a family again, one that had actually accepted her.

**"Whenever you're ready, Dean,"** Sam had said to his brother ten minutes later. He and Apple had stood by the door and waited for Dean so that they would be able to leave.

**"This yours?"** Dean had asked as he looked at Sam and held up a black bra. Sam had gone bright red as Apple glared at Dean.

**"Put it down Dean,"** she had said, her arms crossed over her chest. That had not amused her at all. And Dean had done just that, but not before he let out a soft whistle. Finally he had grabbed his gun and the group headed out.

**"I'm ready for some breakfast."** He had announced as the trio walked out of the shared hotel room.

X - X - X - X

**"Drive safe now, Mr. Pickett."**

**"Yeah, yeah, yeah."**

Apple had noticed another young man at the counter as they entered the diner. She had watched as he counted out change to the waitress. She then had informed him he would not be able to stay unless he ordered something. The kid had seemed a bit jumpy if you had asked Apple. He had counted out just enough change and ordered a cup of coffee. He had been lucky he had enough. Dean, Apple, and Sam had slid into a booth. Her stomach had let out a rather loud grow and both boys had looked at her. **"Sorry, I haven't eaten alright?"**

**"If you would've gotten up when we tried to get you up, you could've had your sandwich."** Dean had informed her before he looked up at the menu. **"Hey! Pig n'a Poke!"**

**"Do you even know what that is?"** Sam had asked. He had then looked over at Apple as if to apologize for Dean's child like behavior. Apple had just smiled, to be truthful, she had thought it was kind of cute; in a strange way.

After Dean had given them a slightly confused type of look, the waitress had appeared, ready to take their orders. **"Yeah, I'll have the special, a side of bacon, and coffee,"** Dean had said with a smile.

**"Make that two coffees, and a short stack," **Sam had added.

Apple had smiled up at the waitress as she turned to take her order. **"Well, I guess make that three coffees, and two short stacks." **The waitress nodded at the small group before she had left to give their order to the kitchen. God, Apple had been so hungry. Pancakes had sounded so good. Her head had snapped up as the two boys conversed; she had no clue what they were on about.

**"I'm telling you, Sam, this job is small fry. We should be spending our time hunting down Bela."** Dean had said as he leaned back against the red vinyl booth, his arm stretched out right behind Apple's neck. He had turned to face her with a grin. She had simply shrugged him off and continued to listen to the conversation.

**"Okay, yeah, let's get right on that. Where is she again?"** Sam had replied sarcastically.

**"Shut up."**

**"Believe me, I wanna find her as bad as you do. But in the meantime, we have this,"** Sam had said as he pulled out a few papers from his pocket.

**"So this professor...,"** Dean had begun as he searched through the papers.

**"Dexter Hasselback. He was passing through town last week when he vanished,"** she had supplied as she searched the papers as well.

**"Last known location?"**

**"His daughter says he was on his way to visit the Brower County Mystery Spot."** Sam had replied as Dean flipped through the brochure. The place had looked kind of odd, and it definitely looked like a tourist trap. It could not have been real, could it have?

**"Where the laws of physics have no meaning?"** Dean had read aloud, disbelief had colored his tone. Sam had shrugged and Apple looked away as she had noticed the waitress had been headed toward them.

**"Three coffees. And some hot sauce for the..." **But she had not been able to finish her sentence as the hot sauce fell to the ground, the glass had shattered as it hit the floor. **"Whoops! Crap." **The waitress had offered the three of them a small, apologetic smile. **"Sorry. Clean up!"**

X - X - X - X

**"That was an eventful breakfast. Thank you, by the way,"** Apple had said.

**"No problem. You're going to have to earn your share though,"** the older Winchester had replied.

**"I think I can do that."** There had been plenty of things she could have done. Apple had never been one for credit card fraud, she found it to kind of lame. Then again, she had found herself using it in extreme desperation. Most of the time she had stuck with hustling pool and darts; darts being her specialty.

**"Awesome. Sam, you know joints like the Mystery Spot, are only tourist traps, right?" **Dean had once again taken the papers from Sam and leafed through them. **"I mean, you know, balls rolling up hill, furniture nailed to the ceiling? The only danger is to your wallet."**

She had had to agree with him. He had been right about places like the Mystery Spot. Apple had found it to be kind of amusing how some people made their money; what had been even more amusing was how easy it was for people to fall for things like that. She had ran a hand through her light brown hair as she looked over the brochure again.

**"Look, I'm just saying, there are spots in the world where holes open up and just swallow people. The Bermuda Triangle. The Oregon Vortex."** It had been Sam who had the point this time around. But this place had not exactly sounded legit, but who knew. There had been a large possibility they were all wrong.

**"Brower County Mystery Spot?" **Dean had asked incredulously.

**"Sometimes these places are legit." **Apple had argued as she tried to help Sam out. It had been the biggest lead they had had at the time, why not at least check it out?

**"Alright well if it is legit, and that's a big ass if, what's the lore?"** he had asked. He had shot both Sam and Apple a look. She had not thought he was too happy about all of this.

**"Excuse me." **Another voice had said as the voice – a moderately tall blond - pushed her way between Dean and Apple. Well. She had watched with amusement as Dean looked back and checked her out. Such a typical guy.

**"The lore's pretty freaking nuts actually. They say in these places the magnetic fields are so strong, they can bends space time, sending victims...who knows where,"** Sam had continued on. He had seemed to have completely ignored the blond intrusion.

**"Sounds a little X-files to me,"** Dean had scoffed

Apple had not been able to stop herself from laughing at Dean's reply. It had been pretty right on. All of this had sounded a bit strange, even for them. They had passed two men, movers she had guessed, who had tried to fit a big desk through a door. **"I told you it wouldn't fit."** She had shaken her head as they continued past them.

**"Look, I'm not saying this is really happening, but if it is, we gotta check it out. See if it really is something."**

They had stopped at the end of the street and waited to cross. Dean had seemed to weigh his options for a minute or two. **"Alright, alright, we'll go tonight after they close. Get ourselves a nice long look,"** Dean had agreed. This one battle had been won and the trio had been able to go on with the rest of their day.

X - X - X - X

**"I've got a bad feeling about this,"** Apple had muttered immediately as they entered the building dubbed the Mystery Spot.

Sam, Dean, and Apple had walked into a room that was painted with a black and green swirl. They had stopped for a second to take everything in before they had moved on to a bigger room. It had been too weird. Dean and Apple had both looked up to see that there was furniture on the ceiling, just as he had said.

**"Wow, uncanny,"** Dean had said with a shake of his head.

All Apple had been able to do was roll her eyes and say, **"Get over it."** She had left Dean's side in favor of walking beside Sam as he scanned the area with the EMF meter. **"You find anything Sam?"**

**"No,"** he had replied as he turned the meter off.

**"Do you have any idea what you're looking for?"** Dean had asked as he had come to a stand still beside the pair.

**"Uh. Yeah,"** his brother had replied before he had had to stop himself. **"No,"** he had replied with a shake of his head.

**"What the hell are you doing here?"** Another voice had said, it had shaken with fear and uncertainty. The trio instantly had turned around, guns drawn to face the voice.

**"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We can explain," **Dean had tried, his voice low and calm. It had actually surprised Apple, she did not think she had ever heard him speak like that. It had sounded as if he wanted talk a suicidal person down from a ledge. Then again, she had supposed he wanted to get this guy to put the gun down.

**"You robbing me?"** the older man had asked.

**"Nobody's robbing you, calm down,"** Apple had said calmly. She really had not wanted to get shot. As a matter of fact, she had not wanted anyone to get shot.

**"Don't move,"** the man had yelled at Dean.

**"I'm just putting the gun down,"** Dean had said. Before anything else could be said, the sound of a gun shot had shaken the air. What the hell?

**"Dean!"** Sam had called out. He had gotten down on his knees and wrapped his arms around his brother. It had taken a few minutes for Apple to take in what had happened. She had gotten on her knees beside Sam, and checked Dean's wound.

**"Go call 9-1-1!"** she had yelled.

**"I didn't mean to,"** the man had said, his voice wavered.

**"Now!"** she had ordered. Apple had watched as the man took off, she had prayed he got to a phone fast.** "Dean, come on,"** she had whispered. Tears had formed in her eyes and slowly slid down her cheeks. How could she have had so much attachment to the man she had just met? Apple had had a feeling if Sam and Dean had switched places, she had been sure she would half felt the exact way. It had not fair.

**"Dean, you can't die on me. Come on Dean."** And before anything else could have happened, Sam and Apple had looked into Dean's lifeless eyes.

**"I'm sorry Sam. I'm so sorry."**

_**[bohemian rhapsody - queen]**_


	3. chapter three

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Applemy original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.

* * *

**There's Always Another Day  
Chapter Three  
**

"Heat of the moment. It was the heat of the moment."

Sam and Apple shot out of bed at the same time.

"Rise and shine Sammy, Apple! Asia," he said as he grinned at both of them.

"Dean." They had both managed to breathe out. What the hell? They exchanged a confused type of look.

"Oh come on. You two love this song and you know it." Dean said over to turn the volume up. They stared as he rose from the bed and danced his way to the bathroom.

Apple dressed while Sam once again met Dean in the bathroom. What the hell was going on?

- - - - -

Sam stood next to his brother and watched as he yet again gurgled water for a longer time than necessary. He couldn't do anything but stare at Dean. How was Dean still alive? Both him and Apple had watched Dean die, held him as he let out his final breath. What was going on?

"What?"

"I dunno." Sam admitted. He stared at the ground, a confused expression on his face.

"You alright?"

"No, I think I... man, I had a weird dream."

"Yeah? Clowns or midgets?" Dean asked, he looked at Sam innocently.

Sam turned and left Dean to finish using the restroom. He found Apple seated on the bed she shared with Dean, her fingers ran nervously through her hair.

"What's going on Sam?"She asked. She didn't even need to look up to know he was there; she could just feel him.

"I don't know."

"You saw what I saw yester...er..today? Right?"

"Yeah." Sam admitted as he sat beside Apple. She rested her head on Sam's shoulder and took a deep breath. "Maybe it was just a weird dream... that we both had." He suggested.

Apple lifted her head to look at Sam clearly. "I don't know Sam, can that happen?"

Sam just shrugged his shoulder. He was sure it was bound to happen, but this was too real to be a dream. It had all felt just... too real.

- - - - -

As the three of them walked into the diner, the same scene played out as the day before. There was the cashier who told Mr. Pickett to drive safe and handed him his keys. Then there was the young man and the coffee. What the hell? Deja vu.

Apple slid into the booth with Dean next to her, and Sam in front of them. "Hey, Tuesday. Pig n'a Poke." Dean said as he grinned at the brunettes. Sam and Apple couldn't help but stare at each other, confused. Confusion seemed to be the feeling of the day, for them at least. Dean seemed to have no idea what was going on. Lucky him.

"Tuesday?" She asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah."

The waitress came over to the three of them and asked for their orders. "Yeah, I'll have the special, side of bacon, and coffee."

"Nothing for me."

"Or me, actually." Apple added. She nodded and told them if they changed their minds to let her know. Apple seriously wasn't hungry right then, she was too confused to even think about food.

"Man, I'm telling you this job is small fry. We should be spending our time hunting down Bela."

That sounded so familiar, like she'd heard it before. Yeah, Dean had definitely said that before.

"Hey, you with me?" Dean asked as he snapped his fingers in Sam's face.

"What?" Sam asked. He looked at Apple first, then at Dean.

"You sure you feel okay?" He gave Sam a weird kind of look before he looked at Apple.

"You don't remember any of this?" She asked. She gave Sam a quick glance before she looked back at Dean.

"Remember what?"

"This. Today, like it's... happened before?" Sam tried. If he could just break through to Dean and make him realize that all of this had already played out.

"You mean like deja vu?"

"No, like it's really happened before," she replied. She played with the silverware before her. It sounded completely absurd when said out loud. She knew what Dean must have thought, they were crazy, truly crazy.

"Yeah, like deja vu." Dean said again. As if to say, 'what part of deja vu do you two not understand?'

"No, forget about deja vu! I mean it feels like we're living yesterday all over again." Sam tried again, the look on his face showed he was completely exasperated with the situation. Even Apple had started to get annoyed.

"Okay, how is that not..."

But Sam had cut him off before those two words could leave his mouth again. "Don't say it. Just don't..." Sam said. Irritated with the whole situation, he turned to glare out the window at the few passerby.

"Coffee, black..." the waitress said as she finally arrived. Just as she went to grab the hot sauce, just like yesterday, if fell off the tray; only this time, Sam had caught it before it had hit the ground.

"Nice reflexes." Dean commented as the waitress walked away. Sam looked at Apple and she sighed, what were they supposed to say?

- - - - -

They walked down the street, Sam and Apple continued to figure out what was going on. She looked over to the right again. The stupid dog had started to bark at them again.

"I'm sorry guys, but I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Dean said. He had begun to get annoyed with the situation. Hell, all three of them were starting to get pretty ticked off about it, for different reasons of course.

"Okay, look. Yesterday was Tuesday, right? But today is Tuesday too!" Sam tried to explain. Apple definitely understood what he was tried to explain, but she didn't think Dean quite got it yet. Sam and Apple exchanged glances as they waited for Dean's response.

"Yeah, okay you're totally balanced."

"So you don't believe us?" Apple asked as she gaped at Dean. Why in God's name was this so hard to explain? Oh, right, because it didn't make any sense in the first place.

"Excuse me." Not that girl again! She bumped into Dean and Apple, and Dean once again looked back at her.

"Focus Dean. Upstairs brain time." Apple told him. She glared slightly.

"Look I'm just saying it's crazy. Even for us crazy. Dingo ate my baby crazy. Hey maybe it was one of your psychic premonitions." Everyone had stopped at this point. Apple raised an eyebrow in confusion, psychic premonition? "Son of a bitch." Dean muttered before he shot Sam an apologetic look.

"Say what now?"

"Dean."

"I'm sorry Sammy."

Sam turned to look at Apple. "I have these...visions. Of things that are going to happen." He explained. "I know it sounds crazy but..."

"Okay, sure it sounds a little crazy, but I know how you feel. I get these feelings, and they tell me when something bad or good is going to happen. The catch is, the feelings are random, and I don't know the things they're referring to. They're pretty useless." She shrugged.

Dean and Sam turned to face Apple, the looks on their faces slightly confused. After a few minutes of silence Sam looked at the petite girl. "It's alright, you know. After we figure out what's going on here, we'll help you figure out what's going on with you." Sam offered and gave her a slight hug. Dean just gave her a weird kind of look before lhe looked over at Sam again. "And no, Dean. This is all too vivid."

"Okay look, we were at the Mystery Spot, and then..."

"And then what?"

"And then Sam and I woke up." Sam and Apple looked toward the direction of the two men as they tried to fit the desk through the door. She wondered if this Tuesday hadn't repeated itself, if those two men would've got the desk through the door. Probably not, they didn't look to be the smartest guys in the world.

"Wait a minute! The Mystery Spot. You think maybe it..." Sam began. He tried to work his idea out in his head before he explained it to the group.

"Maybe what?" Dean asked, he cockd his head to the side. What was Sam trying to say? He couldn't possibly think a place called 'The Mystery Spot' really had anything to do with what was going on.

"We gotta check that place out." Sam said firmly. He nodded his head to show emphasis that the subject was closed and the trio was going whether they liked it or not. "Look, just go with us on this one, alright?" He went on after having recieved yet another strange look from Dean.

"Alright, alright, we'll go tonight after it closes, and get ourselves a nice long look." Dean suggested.

"Wait, what? No." Apple said as she shook her head 'no'. There was no way they were doing that again. Having to watch Dean die was once enough for her, thanks. She couldn't imagine Sam wanted to take that risk either.

"Why not?" Dean asked. He looked from Apple to Sam, thoroughly confused. What the hell?

"Let's go now! Business hours, nice and crowded."

"My God, you guys are freaks."

"Dean!" Apple says as let out a frustrated sigh. God, why couldn't he just go along with them? He didn't have to watch one of them die, the least he could do was give them a break.

"Okay! Whatever, we'll go now." Dean said right before he turned away from the two and continued the walk down the pavement. They stayed stopped a crosswalk for a second, before Dean walked in front of them and out on the street.

"Oh my God!" Apple cried as she and Sam watched a car slam right into Dean. Both boy and girl ran over to Dean. Apple watched Sam once again lift Dean up and hold him. He called his name again and again. She lifted her gaze and saw Mr. Pickett from the diner as looked out of his car window.

- - - - -

"Heat of the moment! It was the heat of the moment!'

"Rise and shine Sammy, Apple!" Dean said as he grinned at the brunette boy and girl.

Apple let out groan before she laid back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. What the hell was going on? She propped herself up on her elbows and watched as Sam watched Dean gargle. She threw off the covers and quickly got dressed before she waited for the two boys. This was going to be yet _another_ eventful day.

- - - - -

"Hey, Tuesday! Pig n'a Poke!" Dean said cheerfully as he looked away from the menu and back at Sam and Apple.

"Okay, Dean, will you listen to me? Cause Apple and I are flipping out." Sam tried, he was so tired of having to explain this day after day. Maybe he should just get a tape recorder and record the explanation.

Like the days before, the waitress came to take their order. Apple was almost ready to just punch the waitress in the face and tell her to get lost.

"He'll take the special, side of bacon, coffee; black, nothing for us, thanks," Apple said quickly as she offered the waitress a small irritated type of smile.

"Apple, I get all tingly when you take control like that." Dean teased and grinned at her.

God, that grin. She could almost feel her heart melting. Apple slapped her head mentally, she needed to focus, not think about how attractive Dean's little quirks were. "Funny." She said to him before she looked over at Sam again.

"Quit screwing around Dean!" Sam said.

"Okay." Why was everyone in such a crappy mood? The day had just started and he was already getting his head bitten off. "Okay, I'm listening. So wait, you think you guys are in some sort of... what?"

"Time loop." Apple said as she turned her head back toward the window once more.

"Like Groundhog Day?"

"Yes, exactly! Like Groundhog Day." Sam said and nodded his head.

"Uh huh," Dean said, he still looked confused.

"So you don't believe us!" Sam nearly yelled. This made Apple turn her head to face the brothers and zone back in on the conversation.

"It's just a little crazy, you know, even for us crazy... like..."

"Dingo at my baby crazy?" Sam offered. He turned to look at Apple with a slight smile.

"How did you know I was gonna say that?" Dean asked. How the hell did Sam know he was going to say that? He hadn't even really planned to say it till just then, so how did Sammy know?

"Because you said it before, Dean, that's our whole point." Apple tried to explain. She wanted to give Sam a bit of a break. She was sure she could handle it at this point.

Just like the two days before, the waitress came to their table with Dean's food. And also like the two days before, the hot sauce nearly fell to the floor until Sam caught it mid air and handed it back to the waitress. She muttered a surprised 'thanks' and placed the hot sauce on the table.

"Nice reflexes." Dean once again acknowledged.

"No. He knew that was going to happen."

"Okay look. I'm sure there's some sort of explanation." Dean began.

"You're just going to have to go with us on this, Dean, you owe us that much." Apple said, her voice rose slightly. It was the first time the boys had witnessed Apple show any sign of anger, they both looked at each other surprised.

"Calm down." Dean tried, he offered her a small smile.

"Don't tell her to calm down, neither of us can calm down! We just can't! Because..." Sam trailed off as he looked away from Dean, to Apple, then back to Dean. He really didn't want to have to tell Dean what he and Apple had witnessed the past two days. It would probably freak Dean out, though he'd never admit it.

"Because what?"

"Because you die today, Dean." Apple said quietly, a sadness showed in her eyes. Dean felt bad, he didn't like Apple that way. She was usually happy and kind of carefree. To see that sadness in her eyes hurt him. He turned his attention to his coffee cup, and back at Apple.

"I'm not gonna die! Not today." Dean said with a grin. He wasn't, there was no way. It just wasn't an option.

"Dean, twice now, we've watched you die."

"And we won't do it again. We can't. You're just going to have to believe us. Please." Sam said as he looked at Apple once more. The sadness was still in her eyes, he could sense it, even as her head was turned toward the window again.

Dean looked at the Sam and Apple. He thought it through. Both of them seemed pretty serious about what they had said. "Alright. I still think you're both nuts... but, whatever this is, we'll figure it out."

- - - - -

Just like the days before, they heard the dog bark, the girl bumped into Dean, and the two men tried to fit the desk through the door. Nothing had changed, nothing at all.

"And you think this cheesy-ass tourist trap has something to do with it." Dean asked as he quirked a brown colored eyebrow at his brother.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Seems a little X-files." Dean replied. Once again, Apple couldn't help but laugh, it was true. It definitely seemed like something that would appear on an episode of the X-files, she could just see Mulder and Scully working on the case, trying to figure out just what was going on. Dean and Sam looked over at her as she laughed, she simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I don't know how else to explain it, Dean!" Sam told him.

"Alright! Alright. We'll go tonight after it closes, get ourselves a nice long look," Dean suggested. He thought it sounded like a good, normal plan for the trio.

"No, no. We can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you... you..." Sam looked over at Apple for help, he didn't think he could utter the rest of the sentence to his brother. He could still see the images in his head, as vivid as ever.

"I what? I die there?" Dean asked.

"Blown away, actually." Apple said quietly as she loked at the pavement below their feet.

"Huh. Alright, let's go now." Dean said. He turned to walk out into the road. Apple remembered yesterday as it replayed in her head, she grabbed Dean's arm and quickly pulled him back just as Mr. Pickett drove by. "Whoa!" Dean looked down at Apple. "Wait, did he...?"

"Yeah, yesterday." Sam replied.

"And?"

"And what?" Apple asked. She cocked her head to the side and waited for Dean to go on. What could he possibly be wanting to know?

"Did it look cool, like in the movies?" Dean asked as he smiled. He seemed excited, like it was some awesome way to die.

Sam looked at Dean with a disgusted, 'are you serious' type of look. "You peed yourself."

Apple couldn't help but grin at Dean's next actions. He seemed to be truly upset that it didn't look as cool as it did in the movies. He was like a little kid who's favorite toy had just gotten run over by something.

"Of course I peed myself. A man gets hit by a car, you think he has full control over his bladder? Come on!"

- - - - -

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," the man that shot Dean said. He smiled at the trio. "We can use all the good ink we can get."

"How long have you owned the place?" Apple asked.

"My family's been guarding the secrets here since you don't want to know when."

"So you'd know if anything strange happened?" Sam then asked. He hoped the guy would give them something to go off of, but he didn't think that was going to happen. The guy was far too interested in getting good press than anything else.

"Strange? Strange happens here all the time." The man replied with a grin. Apple really wanted to wipe that grin off the guy's face. He creeped her out, she was already ready to get out. "It's a mystery spot."

Now it was Apple's turn to get some information out of the guy, but she sensed it wasn't going to happen either. "What exactly does that mean?" She asked, a polite smile on her face.

"Well... uh, it's where the law of physics, have no meaning."

"Like how?" She tried again.

"Take the tour."

"Guy went missing, Dexter Hasselback. He take the tour?" Dean finally cut in.

"Uh, hang on a minute. What kind of article is this?"

"Just answer the question." Sam said tightly. He was beginning to get extremely annoyed, this 'interview' had gotten them no where.

"The police scoured every inch of this place, they couldn't find him, I've never seen him before." The owner replied and shook his head.

"Listen to me. There's something weird going on here. Do you know anything about it, or not?" Sam asked dangerously. It was weird to hear him use that tone of voice. Dean had never heard it before, neither had Apple. They exchanged a quick 'what the hell' look before they looked at Sam and the owner of the Mystery Spot.

"Okay. Guys, give me a break. I bought the place a foreclosure auction last month."

"Alright big guy, let's get some air." Dean said to Sam. He pushed him toward the exit.

Apple turned to face the owner, she offered her small hand for him to shake. "Thank you for your time."

- - - - -

"Well I hate to say it, but that place is exactly what I thought. It's full of crap." Dean said as he, Apple, and Sam made their way down the sidewalk. It was dark now, they seemed to have made it a little longer than they had before.

"Well then what is it, Dean? What the hell is happening to us?" Sam asked, desperation colored his voice. He was so tired of having to watch his only brother die, especially before his time was actually up.

"Okay, let me just..." Dean started. Sam and Apple stopped as Dead and looked toward him. Maybe he had some sort of amazing plan to make all this end. "Okay, so every day I die, right?"

"Yeah." Apple confirmed.

"And that's when the two of you wake up again, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well then let's just make sure I don't die. I make it to tomorrow, maybe the loop stops, and we can figure all this out." Dean suggested as he shrugged his shoulders. It seemed like a simple enough solution to him. They keep him alive, everything would stop and he would stay alive. Sounded pretty good.

"You think?" Sam asked. Apple noticed he seemed a bit more hopeful then he had the last couple of days.

"It's worth a shot. I say we grab some take-out, head back to the motel, and lay low till midnight." He nodded as he finished his sentence. "Okay. Who wants Chinese?"

"Sounds good to me." Apple said. Things had started to look up. Sam and Apple watched as Dean began to walk ahead of them again, they exchanged small smiles. Maybe it really was going to be over soon. A loud crash made those happy thoughts come to an end. "That is seriously the last time that man walks in front of us."

Sam lets out a strangled laugh.

- - - - -

Sam and Apple both propped themselves up on their elbows as 'Heat of the Moment' invaded their ears.

"Rise and shine, Sammy, Apple." Dean said. He grinned at Apple, then Sam.

"Not again." Sam groaned before he fell back down.

- - - - -

"I still think you're both nuts, but whatever this is, we'll figure it out." Dean said to Sam and Apple, just as he had all the days before this one.

"Thanks." Sam replied wearily.

"Okay. So if you two are stuck in Groundhog Day, then why? What's behind it?" Dean asked.

"Well at first we thought it was the Mystery Spot, but now we're not so sure." Apple explained as she Sam a tired smile.

"What do we do?"

"Well, keep you breathing, try to make it to tomorrow. That's the only thing we can think of."

"Shouldn't be too hard."

"Yeah, right. Dean we've watched you die a few times, and we can never seem to stop it." Sam replied with a sigh. He looked so helpless. Dean was a lot harder to keep alive him or Apple had thought. It was as if some evil force was out to just kill Dean for sport and watch Apple and Sam try to defy the inevitable.

"Well, nothings set in stone." Then Dean did something he hadn't done in all the Tuesdays Apple and Sam had been through, he ordered sausage instead of bacon. "See, it's a different day already. I'm not gonna die." They watched as Dean took a bite of his sausage, he smiled at the two while he chewed.

Sam and Apple exchanged small smiles once again, so maybe it was going to be a different day. They looked over at Dean as they noticed the noises that came from him. He wasn't supposed to make those noises.

"Dean?" Sam questioned. "Dean!"

"Spoke too soon." Apple sighed softly.

+chapter title: another day - paramore


	4. chapter four

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Applemy original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.

* * *

**Sunday, Bloody Sunday**

**  
Chapter Four**

"Heat of the moment. It was the heat of the moment."

Apple shot out of bed and ran a tired hand through her brunette hair. She seriously hated that song, she hated Asia. Hated, hated, hated. She watched Dean turn onto his side and climb out of bed. God, she really didn't want to watch him die again today. It had taken a toll on her emotionally, and that made her feel odd, she'd only met the boys, well she guessed, technically it had been one day ago; already she felt extremely close to them. She supposed when you watched someone die over and over again helped that a bit, especially when there was nothing you could do to save that person.

She crawled out of bed and turned the radio off. Her blue eyes looked over toward Sam who, she noticed, was wide awake. He stared at the ceiling. "We're not going out today." Sam said as he turned his head to face her. "Will you go tell Dean?"

"He's in the shower Sam."

"Please?"

Apple sighed at the look Sam had given her. "Alright, alright." She stood up and stretched before she walked to the bathroom, she gently pushed the bathroom door open. Her heart raced so fast as she neared the shower and she hoped he wouldn't decide to get out right then. As much as she wanted to see a naked Dean...Oh, she totally didn't just think that. Apple shook her head as she called out to Dean.

Dean quirked an eyebrow as he heard his name being called. He was surprised Apple was in the bathroom, he hadn't pegged her as the type of girl to just share a restroom with a guy. "Yeah?"

"Sam said we're staying in today."

Of course, Sam had sent her in. Lazy ass. "We can't even go out for breakfast?"

"You'll thank us when it's Wednesday." Apple told him, her voice sounded a bit tense now.

"Whatever that means." Apple caught before she headed out to talk to Sam again.

"I don't think he's too happy with that."

Sam shrugged his shoulders and looked up at her. "This has got to stop. I can't take it anymore." He muttered as he laid his large hands on his face. Apple reached a hand out and placed it on his arm.

"I know, we'll figure it out Sam." Just as Apple finished her sentence, they heard a yell and a loud thud. "Shit." Apple muttered.

- - - - -

Apple leaned over on her side of the bed and grabbed one of Dean's boots. She tossed it at the alarm clock as "Heat of the Moment" began.

"Someone's not an Asia fan are they?"

"Shut up Dean." Apple muttered. She took on of her extra pillows and hit him.

"Not nice princess, not nice."

"Bite me."

"Oh very tempting."

"Gross." Apple turned onto her stomach and buried her head in her pillow.

"I'm going out to get breakfast." Sam said as Dean and Apple watched him as he grabbed the keys and exited the motel room.

"Dean! Stop touching me!" Apple whined as she felt him poke her. "I swear if you don't stop poking me, I'll kill you!" As she realized what she had just said, she quickly apologized.

"Hey, it was all said in good fun."

Apple sighed as she rolled over to face him. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"S'matter?"

"Don't worry about it Dean." Apple muttered before she leaned up and brushed her hair out of her face. Her blue eyes connected with his green ones and she watched as his lips spread into a grin. "What are you staring at Winchester?"

"Nothing much Delaney. Just admiring the view."

"Oh you are _so_ smooth."

"You bet." Apple laughed and willed herself to crawl out of the bed, and the warm heat that radiated from Dean. He was so warm, she wanted to lay in the bed with his warmth all day. She sighed as she grabbed a pair of jeans, a green tank top, and her Converse and headed into the bathroom.

When she emerged, Dean and Sam were both seated at the table, tacos spread before them. She picked one up and took the chair next to Dean.

"These tacos taste funny to you?"

- - - - -

"Heat of the moment."

This time it was Sam who decided to throw something at the loud, obnoxious alarm clock. Apple groaned as she lifted her head. Dean rolled over to face her as Sam closed his eyes again.

"Someone needs to shave, they're beginning to look like a mountain man." Apple teased as she tugged lightly at the stubble on Dean's chin. He grabbed her wrist and held it.

"Oh very funny, Delaney."

Apple just looked at Dean for a moment, and then at the hand that held her wrist. Her skin tingled, it was a strange yet she felt addicted to it. He blinked a few times and let her wrist go.

"Guess this wannabe mountain man is going to go shave so he can be up to Miss Delaney's standards." Dean said as he stood up from the bed and chucked a pillow at Apple's head.

"Miss Delaney greatly appreciates it." Apple called as she grabbed the pillow and chucked it at Sam's head.

"What?"

"Morning sunshine."

"Oh shut up Delaney."

"Okay Sammy."

Sam huffed at her as he sat up in his bed. He at Dean before layed back down. Apple sat up and watched as Dean's body crumpled to the floor.

- - - - -

Apple and Dean were bent down next to the owner of the Mystery Spot and watched as Sam tore up the walls with an ax. The owner seemed startled at what was going on, Apple guessed she'd be startled too if some guy came in, tied him up, duct taped his mouth shut, and ripped his place of business apart.

"Everybody's fine. Nobody's gonna get hurt, okay?" Apple reassured the man a small smile on her face. She was sure her small gesture was no comfort at all, but what else could she do?

"Sammy, maybe you should drop the ax and let this guy go, whaddya say?" Dean inquired as he looked up at Sam.

"Something's gotta be going on here, and I intend to find out what." Sam told him. He continued to destroy the building.

"Sammy, time to give it a rest." Dean stood up from his position. He turned to Apple, offered her a hand up, and she took it. She watched with amusement as the boys argued over the ax; the amused look on her face disappeared as the ax cut into Dean. Blood splattered on the owner's face.

"Dean?" Sam questioned. He turned to Apple with a helpless look on his face.

"Back to bed Sam." She muttered before she closed her eyes.

- - - - -

Apple sat up as "Heat of the Moment" blared through the motel room. Dean turned to face her and grinned. "Asia!"

"Yes, I can hear that Dean."

She watched as Dean got up and threw a pillow at Sam. "Rise and shine Sammy."

Sam just groaned and rolled over. He buried his head in his pillow and wished this would all stop.

- - - - -

Just like they had nearly every Tuesday they'd lived through in Brower County, they entered the local diner. Apple watched as Sam bumped into Mr. Pickett. She noticed that he had discreetly put something into the pocket of his jacket. As they slid into the booth they normally occupied, Apple and Sam sighed. They shared a 'here we go again' look before Dean opened his mouth.

"Hey, Tuesday! Pig n'a Poke!" His tone was cheery and bright, like he was a little kid. Apple had thought it was adorable when she had first heard him use that tone, and after all the Tuesdays, she still found it adorable. She sighed as she rested her chin on her hand.

Sam slid a set of keys onto the table and recieved a strange look from both Dean and Apple. So that was what she'd seen Sam slip into his pocket.

"What're those?" Dean asked.

"The old man's. Trust me, you don't want him behind the wheel." Apple couldn't help but snort at Sam's comment. It was true. He had hit Dean head on with his car once before.

The waitress approached them and asked for their orders. Dean ordered his usual, of course. Apple hadn't expected Sam to say anything but 'nothing for us' like usual, so when he spoke next, she couldn't help but just stare at him.

"Hey Doris? What I'd like is for you to log in more hours at the archery range. You're a terrible shot."

"How did you know that?"

"Lucky guess." Sam replied immediately. Damn, he was grumpy. Apple guessed she was too but she had a better way of hiding it. She was just as tired of Tuesdays as Sam, but she wasn't going to say anything to any of the civilians. She figured it just concerned herself, Sam, and Dean.

"So you guys think your caught in some kind of what?" Dean asked as he cocked his head slightly.

"Time loop." Apple said, before she stared out the window again.

"Like Groundhog Day."

"Doesn't matter, there's no way to stop it."

"Jeez, aren't you grumpy." Not a good thing to say Dean, Apple thought as she looked at the brothers. She was sure Sam was going to have an outburst soon. They had both reached the end of their ropes with this whole on going Tuesday thing.

"Yeah, we both are. You wanna know why?" Sam asked.

"Why?" Dean asked. Sam turned look at Apple and nodded for her to continue.

Apple felt bad for Dean. He had no idea what was happening to him day after day, he just stayed clueless, not by choice she knew, but still. "Because this is the hundredth Tuesday in a row that we've been through, and it never stops. Ever. So yeah, we're a little grumpy."

"Hot sauce." Sam said. He looked up at the waitress as she approached their table. He caught the hot sauce as usual and placed it on the table.

"Nice reflexes."

"I knew it was going to happen, Dean. Apple and I know everything that's going to happen."

"You don't know everything." Dean countered. He didn't think that the two people in front of him could know everything. No one knew everything. They just couldn't.

"Yeah, we do."

"Yeah right." Dean said, but Sam was right along with him.

"Nice guess." They both said.

"It wasn't a guess."

"Right, you're a mind reader. Cut that out Sam. Sam! You think you're being funny but you're being really really childish. Sam Winchester wears make up. Sam Winchester cries his way through sex. Sam winchester keeps a ruler near the bed and every morning when he wakes up – okay enough!" They both finished.

Apple couldn't help but laugh at the newest stunt Sam had pulled. If Dean didn't believe them before, she was sure he believed them now. The look of shock on Dean's face was priceless and Apple couldn't help but continue to laugh. When in life did you ever see something like that? She grinned at the glare she received from Dean for her laughter.

"That's not all," Sam continued as he looked over toward the register. "Randy the cashier? He's skimming from the register. Judge Myers? At night, he puts on a furry bunny outfit. Over there? That's Cal. He's gonna rob Tony the mechanic on the way home," He finished.

"What's your point?" Apple was shocked Dean still didn't believe them. But then again, if she were in Dean's position, she wasn't sure she'd believe them so easily either.

"My point is we've lived through every possible Tuesday. Apple and I have watched you die every possible way. We've ripped apart the Mystery Spot, burned it down, done everything we can think of to save your life and we can't," Sam said. He looked down at the table then back up at Dean. "No matter what we do, you die. And then we wake up. And it's Tuesday again."

- - - - -

"There's gotta be some way out of this." Dean said as the trio once again walked down the street.

"Where's my dang keys?" Apple parroted as they passed Mr. Pickett as he said the same thing. "Excuse me," she continued as the blond girl bumped into her and Dean.

"She's kinda cute." Dean stopped for a second. "Hey. All the times we've walked down this street, I ever do this?"

Apple and Sam watched as Dean turned and headed back toward the girl. "No." They both said as they watched him. Dean grabbed one of the sheets and headed toward his party again, a piece of paper in hand.

"A hundred Tuesdays, you never bothered to check what she was holding in her hands?" He asked. "It's the guy who went missing." Dean held up a MISSING picture of Dexter Hasselback. "That's his daughter back there."

"Ma'am!" Sam called and turned around to catch Hasselback's daughter.

"Good thought Dean." Apple congratulated. She patted his back lightly.

"Yeah, I know. I have a bunch of them." He retorted with a grin. "Hey, you ever wonder why that dog is chained up?" He asked as he turned to face the dog. "Hey buddy. Someone need a friend?"

"Dean! Don't!"

- - - - -

"Heat of the moment!"

"Oh my Jesus." Apple muttered before she buriedher face in her pillow.

"Morning princess!" Dean exclaimed and shook Apple lightly.

"Stop touching me Dean!"

"Rise and shine Sammy!"

"Go away Dean."

"Dude. You guys are so grumpy. Come on, get up. I'm hungry. And Asia's on! You guys love this song, and you know it!" Dean turned up the volume on the alarm clock whil he mouthed the words and danced to the song as he made his way to the bathroom.

"Sammy?"

"Apple?"

"Why can't we just sleep all day?"

- - - - -

"So the police report says Dexter Hasselback is a professor. But that's not all he is," Sam said. His fingers typed away on his laptop while Dean ate his breakfast. Apple reached over and stole a sausage from him. She stuck her tongue out at him as he glared.

"He's a journalist who gets his kicks debunking. He's already put four of these places out of business." Apple explained after she finished the sausage she had stolen. Sam turned the laptop to face Dean so he could read over the article.

"Dexter Hasselback. Truth Warrior? More like pompous schmuck if you ask me."

"Guy must have weighed a ton, he was so full of himself." Apple continued.

"When'd you two have time to do all this research?" Apple and Sam exchanged a look before standing up.

"Come on." Sam said. He paused and stared at a plate that once held pancakes smothered in strawberry syrup.

"What?" Dean asked.

Apple had picked up on it too. She stared at the plate in wonder. "Guy has maple syrup for one hundred Tuesdays and suddenly he has strawberry." She heard Sam say as she began to walk away with Dean.

"It's a free country. Man can't choose his own syrup, what have we become?"

"No, not today. Nothing in this place ever changes. Ever. Except me and Apple."

- - - - -

The sound of Asia filled the air again. Apple looked up at Dean as he made his way to the bathroom to finish getting dressed for the day.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened? Dean didn't even die." She said as she crawled onto Sam's bed.

"I know what's going on now. I should have seen it earlier."

- - - - -

"So you think you're caught in some kind of what, again?" Dean asked as Sam and Apple watched the man across from their booth.

"Eat your breakfast." Sam snapped. He and Apple waited for the man to get up and leave. It wasn't that long of a wait before the man was up and walked out of the diner, toothpick in his mouth.

"What's in the bag?" Dean called after the pair as he realized that Apple had a brown paper bag. What the hell was going on now?

- - - - -

As the trio reached the man, Sam pinned him to a silver chain linked fence, back pressed hard against it. "I know how you are! Or should I say, what," Sam said as he put the stake to the man's neck.

Apple, Dean, and Sam listened as the man pleaded to be let go, but Apple and Sam knew better than that. "It took us a while but we finally figured it out. It's your MO that gave you away. Going after pompous jerks, giving them their just desserts? Your kind loves that, don't they?" Apple said from Sam's side.

Thankfully, Sam had prepared her for this moment. He told her of the time Dean and himself had encountered what Sam believed had caused the time loop. He told her of how they had killed one and he should have realized what caused the chaos sooner.

"Yeah, sure, okay, just put the stake down." The man tried again.

"Sam, maybe..." Dean started, but Apple placed a hand gently on his arm and shook her head 'no'. Dean quirked a brow at her but stayed quiet none-the-less.

"NO!" Sam yelled. "There's only one thing powerful enough to stick someone in a time loop like this. You'd have to be a god, you'd have to be a trickster."

The man started to rationalize with Sam. He told him he had a wife and two kids, but Sam wasn't phased. He knew what was going on. He shook his head 'no' and glared at the man before him.

"Don't lie to me! I know what you are! We've killed one of your kind before!" He yelled again. He thrusted the stake a little further into the man's neck.

Apple let out a small gasp as she and Dean watched the older man turn into a younger one. His hair was a bit wavy and a light brown color, he stood around Dean's height and was a bit on the chubby side. "Actually Bucko? You didn't."

"Why are you doing this?" Sam asked, confusion written all over his face now. He just didn't understand.

"You're joking right? You chuckle heads tried to kill me last time. Why wouldn't I do this?" The trickster replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"And Hasselback, what about him?" Apple asked, still a little shocked.

"Oh. You have a new friend. She's pretty. And to answer your question, he didn't believe in wormholes, so I dropped him in one. And then you two showed up, plus one. I made you the second you hit town." He explained, the grin on his face never once disappeared.

"So this is fun for you? Killing Dean over and over again?" Sam asked angrily.

"One? Yes. It is fun. And two? This is _so_ not about killing Dean." The trickster said. "This joke's on you, Sam. Watching your brother die? Every day? Forever?"

"You son of a bitch." Sam said, absolutely furious.

"How long will it take you to realize? You can't save your brother. No matter what."

"Oh yeah? I kill you, this all ends now." Sam said as he pushed the stake just a little more into the trickster's neck. Apple was confused now. What did he mean Sam couldn't save Dean? Why would Sam even need to save Dean? Dean looked perfectly healthy to her.

"Whoa, okay. You can't take a joke, fine. You're out of it. Tomorrow, you wake up, it'll be Wednesday. I swear."

"You're lying." Sam hissed.

"If I am, you know where to find me. Having pancakes at the diner."

Sam seemed to think about it. Personally, Apple thought he should have just killed the trickster and had it all end then.

"Easier to just kill you." Sam said, stake poised to slide into the trickster's neck.

"Sorry kiddo. Can't have that."

- - - - -

"But you better promise me I'll be back in time."

Apple let out a small groan as she propped herself up on her elbows, she cocked her head to the side as she noticed there was completely different music on. She looked over at Sam who had the same confused expression on his face. So was it really Wednesday? Had the trickster really let them go?

"What, you two gonna sleep all day?" They heard Dean ask from the bathroom. Apple leaned forward slightly and could see him as he brushed his teeth.

"No Asia!" Sam said, a small grin on his face.

"Yeah I know. This station sucks."

Both Apple and Sam look toward the alarm clock and smiled with satisfaction. The clock no longer said Tuesday.

"It's Wednesday!"

"Yeah, which usually comes after Tuesday. Would one of you turn that thing off?"

"What are you kidding? This isn't the most beautiful song you've ever heard?" Apple asked. She seemed to look shocked that Dean would actually want to turn the song off. It was finally Wednesday!

"No. Jeez, how many Tuesdays did you guys have?"

"I dunno. I think we both lost count." Sam told him as he climbed out of bed and grabbed his clothes before he disappeared into the bathroom.

After a few minutes, Apple followed suit. She grabbed her own clothes and waited for Sam to get out of the bathroom so she could get ready to go. "What do you remember?" She asked as she leaned against the wall and waited for Dean's answer.

"You and Sam were pretty whacked out. Then I remember running into the trickster, but that's about it."

"Back your stuff. We're getting the hell out of town." Sam announced as he exited the bathroom and made it clear Apple needed to get dressed too.

- - - - -

Dean and Apple left Sam to get the up the small motel room cleand up while the pair went to pack the car. Apple stood next Dean and watched as he transferred a few weapons from the hidden compartment to his duffel. He zipped the bag up and closed the compartment before he dropped it onto he top of the compartment.

"Are you sure we should let the trickster go?" Dean asked as he turned to face what both he and Apple thought was Sam.

They turned to face Sam, but quickly realized that it wasn't Sam at all, but Cal, the young man Apple recognized from the diner. "Gimme your wallet!" He ordered, his voice shook slightly and his gun was pointed straight at Dean.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa buddy, just relax." Dean said as he tried to calm the man down.

"I am relaxed!" Cal barked. He moved the gun from Dean to Apple.

"Come on now. I don't think anyone wants this to end the wrong way. Let's talk for a second." Apple said as she tried to get a small smile on her face.

- - - - -

Sam threw the rest of his things into his duffel. He was ready to get the hell out of Brower County, the place had been nothing but bad news. He sighed as he chucked a pair of pants into his bag. He paused for a moment. He wondered why Apple and Dean had to take so long to load the Impala, it shouldn't have taken that long.

As he had just decided to go check on them, he stopped as a sound that would forever haunt him made it's way into his ears. He had no idea how he had gotten down the stairs as fast as he had, it was by some miracle he hadn't tripped and fallen down them.

His heart stopped as he stared at the scene before him. Dean was on his side, blood poured from a wound in his chest, his head rested in Apple's lap as tears rolled down her cheeks. He was at their side in an instant.

"No, no, come on, not today. This isn't supposed to happen today." Sam said desperately as he stared at Dean in utter disbelief. He looked from Apple's tear streaked face, to the lifeless body of his older brother, he closed his eyes. He thought back to all the Tuesdays he had lived through with Apple. When he opened them again, nothing had changed, nothing at all. "We're supposed to wake up, Apple." He whispered.

+chapter title: sunday, bloody sunday - paramore


	5. chapter five

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Applemy original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.

* * *

**Where'd You Go? I Miss You So.**

**Chapter Five**

Neither Sam nor Apple could believe Dean was actually gone. They both expected to wake up and there Dean would be, with them, alive, safe. They drove for days and killed anything that needed to be killed, helped anyone who needed to be helped; all the while they searched for the trickster. They knew he could bring Dean back, he was the only one who could. They tried to keep tabs on him but he continued to slip from the grasps.

Sam spoke often of a man named Bobby who continued to call Sam, he told her Bobby congratulaed him on one hunt or another. He informed Apple that he was a close family friend, he'd been with them ever since the disappearance of their father, and then after he had died.

"Sam. Hold still." Apple ordered as she took a pair of tweezers to a bullet wound in Sam's abdomen. "Almost got it." She whispered as she dug around yet tried to be gentle all the same. "There." Apple took the bullet from the wound and looked at it before she dropped it in a glass of alcohol. She cleaned the wound and bandaged it up.

"Thanks Apple."

"No problem Sam. You alright?"

"I guess. I just want my brother back."

Apple sighed as she took a seat next to him on bed, she rubbed his back comfortingly. "I know Sam. I want Dean back too. We'll find the trickster, together."

"Thanks for everything though. Not just this. I don't know what'd I'd do without you, you've helped to kill some of the pain. You've been a good friend Apple, and a good hunter; despite what your family says."

Apple smiled at him slightly. "Thanks Sam. Means a lot. Come on, we should probably get some rest."

"I'm gonna go brush my teeth."

Apple laid down on her bed, and stared up at the ceiling. They had to find the trickster, they had to get Dean back. Sam had tried to hand the loss of his brother as well as he could, even if he did remain stoic most of the time. She supposed that was just the way he dealt with things, everyone had their own ways. She listened to Sam as he brushed his teeth. Another sound mingled with that though, she tried to follow the sound, and found herself stopped by Sam's discarded pair of jeans.

She dug through his front pockets and pulled out his phone. "Sam! There's another voice mail from Bobby."

Sam was at her side in a few seconds, he quickly punched in the code to access his voice mail, and put the phone to his ear. "He found him. Bobby says he found the trickster."

- - - - -

Apple looked over at Sam as they entered Brower County. She took a deep breath, it felt strange to be back. The images of what had happened played over and over in both of their heads.

"You think this will work?"

"I'm sure. You'll just have to play along." He informed her before he turned to look back at the road.

It took little time for them to reach the Mystery Spot. Apple shuddered as she stepped out of the Impala, she thought about how this was where Dean had first been killed. She followed Sam in to the building. Mentally, she prepared herself for what was to come next, and hoped to God that it would turn out alright.

As they entered the building they came face to face with an older man, who she assumed was Bobby. She was sure he couldn't be anyone but. Sam and Apple stood a bit away from Bobby, they watched as he lit one last candle, Bobby must have sensed their presence because he was up off the ground in no time.

"It's good to see you, boy." he said before he pulled Sam into a hug; Sam stood still, he made no move at all to hug him back. "And you must be Apple Delaney." He turned to face her next, a smile on his face.

Apple politely held her hand out. "Nice to finally meet you Bobby." He took her hand and pulled her into a semi tight hug, as to not suffocate the girl.

"Thank you for watching over Sam these last few months."

"It was no problem," she assured him.

"What are we doing here, Bobby?" Sam asked.

"It's the last place the trickster was known to have worked his magic. I found a summoning ritual to bring him here." Bobby informed them.

"What do we need?" Apple asked, as she looked over the set up Bobby had made. There was a symbol marked on the floor along with multiple candles and a book.

"Blood."

"How much?"

"About a gallon. Ritual says it's gotta be fresh too."

"Meaning we bleed a person dry." Sam said strongly. Apple looked up at him, she wondered it they were truly going to go through with this. She didn't see another option, and she was sure Sam didn't see one either.

"And it's gotta be tonight," Bobby paused as he looked away from the ritual set up, and toward Sam and Apple. "Or not for another fifty years."

"Then let's go get some." Sam said. He turned away from Bobby and looked at Apple, a serious expression on his face. She let out a soft sigh as she made to walk out of the building with Sam.

"You break my heart, kid. I'm not going to let either of you murder an innocent man."

At this, the pair turned around to face the older man. "Then why did you bring us here?"

"Why? 'Cause it's the only way you'd see me. 'Cause I wanted to knock some sense into you. 'Cause I thought you'd back down from killing a man!"

"Well you thought wrong."

Apple shuddered at the tone of voice Sam had used. She'd never heard him sound so serious, so deadly. She wondered for a moment if he would really kill someone to try to bring his brother back. Then again, she thought she might have wanted to do the same thing if someone she loved was taken from her like Dean was taken away from Sam. But would she actually have the willpower to do that?

"Leave all the stuff, I'll do it myself." Sam finished coldly.

"I told you, I'm not gonna let you kill an innocent."

"It's none of your damn business what I do!" Sam shouted. He felt Apple jump beside him and momentarily felt bad for scaring her, but she did know what was going to happen.

"You want your brother back so bad," Bobby bent down and picked up a knife before he turned back to look at Sam and Apple. "Fine."

"What are you talking about?" Apple asked as she cocked her head slightly.

"Better me than a civilian." Bobby tossed the knife at Sam, who caught it, before he spoke again. "I'm an old man, I'm coming to the end of my trail. You're young Sam, you can keep going, keep saving people. You're the closest thing I've ever had to family, and I can give you Dean back. I want to." He explained before he turned around and closed his eyes.

Apple pulled the stake out from her jacket and handed it to Sam. She touched his hand tentatively before he turned back around. She really hoped this was going to work.

"Make it quick." Bobby said, hands clenchded tightly into fists. "Do it, son."

"Yeah okay, Bobby." He got behind Bobby, the knife poised at his back. "But you wanna know why? Because you're not Bobby." He said quietly before he plunged the stake into his back.

Sam got up and took a few steps back until he was level with Apple. They watched the body for a few seconds. "Bobby?" Apple questioned, but nothing seemed to happen. "Sam, maybe that really was Bobby!" Apple started to panic, maybe they really had killed Bobby.

"Bobby?" Sam tried. He prayed they hadn't actually killed the real Bobby.

Apple grabbed onto Sam's arm as the body suddenly disappeared and the stake whizzed through the air. The boy and girl turned around, the trickster had appeared behind them. They watched as he hit his hand lightly with the stake and observed the pair with a wicked grin.

"You two were right. I was just screwing with ya. Pretty good though Sam, Apple. Smart. Let me tell you, whoever said Dean was the dysfunctional one, has never seen you with a sharp object in your hands. Whoa, full metal jacket." The trickster drawled on.

"Bring him back." Sammy whispered tiredly. He just wanted his brother back already, why couldn't he just bring Dean back? Everyone knew he could, so why wouldn't he?

"Who? Dean? Dean's dead, and his soul is downstairs doing the hell fire rumba as we speak."

"Just take us back to the Tues-" Apple shook her head as she corrected herself, "Wednesday, when it all started."

"I dunno if I should." He replied, a smirk crossed his features. "Don't you see Sam, there's a lesson here. This obsession with saving Dean? The way you two keep sacrificing yourselves for each other? Nothing good comes out of it. Just blood, and pain. Dean's your weakness. Bad guys know it, too. It's gonna be the death of you, Sam. Sometimes, you just gotta let people go."

"He's my brother." Sam said. His voice sounded raw and just too tired. He just wanted his brother back! Dean still had time to live, he needed his brother back.

"Yup. And like it or not, this is how life's gonna be without him."

"Please. Just... please." Apple tried, her voice sounded just as bad as Sam's.

"I swear. Talking to you two is like talking to a brick wall. Okay, look. This all stopped being fun months again. I'm over it."

"Meaning what?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." The trickster replied before he snapped his fingers.

- - - - -

Sam and Apple shot up at the familiar sound of Huey Lewis and the News. They looked at each other before they turned to Dean.

"What're you two gonna do, sleep all day?" Dean asked as he brushed his teeth. "I know, no Asia. This station sucks."

"It's Wednesday." Apple said in shock. Both her and Sam turned to look at the clock, small smiles graced their faces.

"Yeah. Which usually follows Tuesday. Turn that thing off."

Apple slid out of bed and walked to stand before Dean, she hugged him tight. She'd never been so happy to see him. He seemed a little surprised at her actions, then again, why wouldn't he be? After Apple had let go and turned to get clothes out of her bag, Sam approached him and hugged him just as tight as Apple had.

"Dude, how many Tuesdays did you guys have?"

"Enough." Sam and Apple said at the same time.

"Wait, what do you remember?" Sam asked as both men watched Apple walk to the bathroom and close the door.

"I remember the both of you were pretty whacked out yesterday. And I remember catching up with the trickster. That's about it."

"Let's go." Sam said. He threw on a shirt and a pair of jeans. "Apple, come on."

Apple exited the bathroom and threw her things into her bag before she zipped it up. "We leaving?"

"Definitely."

"No breakfast?"

"No breakfast." Sam confirmed. He smiled slightly at Dean's usual behavior. He had missed that so much.

"I'll pack the car." Dean offered.

"NO! You're not going anywhere without me and Apple." Sam said. He shook his head and started to pack his bag.

"It's just the parking lot, Sam."

"Just trust us, alright?"

Sam and Apple looked around the room once more, they thought about everything they'd gone through. Apple turned to look at Dean as he opened the door, ready to get to the Impala and leave. She quickly joined him and watched Sam.

"Hey, you don't look so good. Something else happen?" Dean asked as he watched his brother stand still in the middle of the room.

"I just had a really weird dream."

Dean nodded his head. "Clowns or midgets?" He asked. He smiled brightly at his little brother.

Apple elbowed him lightly in the chest. "Seriously, Dean?" He playfully glared at her before he shrugged his shoulders. Sam smiled back at the pair weakly before he turned to join them.

They made their to the Impala, Apple slid in the backseat as Sam took his position in the passenger seat. Dean looked around before he slid into his rightful place in the driver's seat.

"So I'm seriously hungry. Breakfast?" He asked hopefully.

"After we get out of town Dean."

Sam and Apple chuckled as they listened to Dean grumble about being hungry and wanting food now, not later. This was going to be an interesting drive.

+chapter title: where'd you go - fort minor


	6. chapter six

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.

* * *

**'Cause your whole world is blowing up**

**Chapter Six**

"Dean! Turn that back on. Seriously! I was watching that." Apple whined as he turned off the television

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Apple-pie, you know I love watching Scooby Doo as much as you, but apparently Sam and I have something to talk to you about." Dean sat next to Apple as they waited for Sam to get out of the bathroom.

They both stared off into space as they waited for Sam to come out of the bathroom. Apple and Dean turned to look at Sam who had just opened the door to the bathroom. He towl dried his hair before he threw wet towel onto a nearby chair.

"So what's so important Scooby Doo had to be turned off?" A child like pout was Apple's face. She had been extremely involved in that episode of the show, she tried to figure out who the thief was, but no. Sam had made them turn the television off, and here they were.

"Do you remember us mentioning a woman named Bela?"

"Sounds vaguely familiar."

"Well she's been a pain in our ass since she broke into our dad's container at a storage place in Buffalo. She sells occult objects to people that can afford it." Dean elaborated. He looked over at Sam to continue.

"So, even though she's been a pain, we've helped each other out here and there. Though I'm not sure she's realized that. But the last time we ran into her, she stole the Colt."

"The Colt?" Apple asked. She cocked her head to the side as he tried to figure out what the hell the Colt was.

"It was a gun made by Samuel Colt in 1835. It had thirteen original bullets, anything these bullets hit, will die; including supernatural creatures, even those that are immune to regular bullets."

"So what, Bela stole the Colt to sell to some big on himself billionaire?" Apple asked, already she didn't like where this was headed.

"Yeah. So, we're heading to Colorado. That's where she was last known to have stayed." Dean said before he stood up. "So let's get going."

Apple nodded and grabbed her bag before she went into the restroom to get dressed.

- - - - -

"See? It wasn't that hard Dean. I think Apple's an asset to us." Sam explained as they waited for the girl come out of the bathroom.

"I guess."

"Dean, please... just trust me."

Truth be told, Dean didn't mind Apple being around. It was nice to have someone else to talk to besides his brother, not that he minded having just his brother around. After all, Sam was all he had had after their father died. He liked the girl, she was different, and she fit in with them perfectly, as if she were meant to be there with them.

"Dean?"

"What?"

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm good." His mind wandered back to Apple. She was pretty too, evenly tanned skin, soft brunette hair, full lips, blue eyes, and she always smelled of, well, apples. He liked to wake up next to her in the morning, she was definitely a good sight to see first thing. Ever since Brower County she shared his bed, both of them stayed on their side, though Dean had been woken up by the feel of her curled up to him. He didn't mind that so much. Dean rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands, he didn't need to think about anything like that. They had things they needed to take care of.

"Alright, ready." Apple announced as she stood before her boys, waiting for them now.

- - - - -

As they entered the apartment it was quiet, almost too quiet. Apple and Dean had split up with Sam to search different areas of the place. They searched through drawers and cupboards but didn't come across the Colt. Apple had a bad feeling about this. Another one. But her feelings were just useless now, if only they'd tell her why she felt bad, and what was coming. Frustrated, Apple sighed and continued to search around the apartment.

"Any sign of it?" Dean called to Sam as he and Apple met him in Bela's room.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure this is Bela's room?" Apple asked as she rummaged through drawers in the bedside table.

"I'd say so." Dean replied. He held up two wigs. Yeah, that definitely had to be her room.

"Hey, do you two hear that?" Apple asked as she began to look around. It sounded like a phone going off. She walked out of the bedroom, Sam and Dean close behind her. They stopped at a cordless phone that rested on its charger.

Dean lifted the phone up and turned it on, he put it on speaker phone before he looked from Apple to Sam.

"Dean? Sweetie are you there?" A voice called through the speaker. Apple noted the British accent, so this had be the famous Bela Talbot.

"Where are you?" Dean asked. His green eyes glared at the phone. He hated the sound of that woman's voice, he just could not stand it.

"Two states away by now."

"Where?"

"Where's our usually quippy banter? I miss it."

"I want it back, Bela. Now."

"Your little pistol, you mean? Sorry, I can't at the moment."

"You understand how many people are gonna die if you do this?"

"What is it exactly you think I plan to do with it?"

"Take only weapon we have against an army of demons and sell it to the highest bidder." Dean answered. What else would she do with it?

"You know nothing about me." Bela said after a moment of silence on her end.

"I know I'm gonna stop you."

"Tough words for a guy who can't even find me."

"Oh, I'll find you, sweetheart." He paused as if in thought before he went on. "You know why? 'Cause I have nothing better to do then track you down."

"That's where you're wrong." Bela replied easily. "You're about to become quite occupied. Did you really think I wouldn't take precautions?" The trio heard the phone click and go dead.

"Shit." Dean muttered as they heard the door being kicked in and FBI agents and cops ran into the living room.

Apple swallowed. She'd never been in this type of situation. She gasped as her, Sam, and Dean were on the floor in seconds, handcuffs bound their wrists behind their backs.

Sam looks up into the amused eyes of Agent Viktor Hendrickson. He lets out a soft sigh before he put his face to the floor. They were so screwed... again.

"Hi guys," Hendrickson said. "It's been a while."

- - - - -

Agent Hendrickson walked into the police station, he felt fairly good about himself since the capture of the two guys he had tried to hunt down for what seemed like ever. They were good, he had to admit. Then there was the girl the Winchesters had managed to pick up. Apple Delaney. Hendrickson had run a background check on her and saw there wasn't anything out of the ordinary, at least nothing like what Sam and Dean were being charged with. How did the brunette girl get caught up in their mess?

"Did you get them? Where is everyone? I asked for all your men." Hendrickson said as he looked at the sheriff.

"And you got them." The sheriff replied. "They went with you on the raid."

"Four men. That's all?" The agent said, irritated that he didn't have as many men as he thought he should have.

"That's all I could get in an hour's notice. We're a small town." The sheriff said.

Hendrickson didn't say anything to the sheriff and headed toward the jail cells. There was one man occupying them, he asked him what he was in for. After he shrugged his shoulders, Hendrickson let the man go.

"You can't just release prisoners!" The sheriff argued as he glared daggers at the FBI agent.

"This isn't how I'd do it if I had the choice. But a tip's a tip, and we had to move fast."

"Look, Agent, this ain't my first rodeo." The sheriff followed Hendrickson out as he walked away.

"You have any idea who we're about to bring in here?" Hendrickson turned to face the sheriff. He stared down at him, his gaze was dark and held something the sheriff couldn't quite place.

"Yeah. A couple of fugitives."

"The most dangerous criminals you've ever laid your eyeballs on." The agent corrected. "Think Hannibal Lector and his half-wit little brother. You know what these guys do for kicks? Dig up graves and mutilate corpses. They're not just killers, they're Satan-worshiping killers." Hendrickson noticed a young woman at a desk nearby, he watched as she reached for the cross around her neck.

"We'll help any way we can." The sheriff said after he realized the danger they had let into his police station.

"Those men of yours," Hendrickson said, "Post 'em at the exits."

- - - - -

Dean, Sam, and Apple were lead into the police station, Sam and Dean were connected with chains around their ankles and handcuffs on their hands, Apple just had handcuffs around her wrists. Obviously they didn't see Apple as much of a threat because of her clean record. Lucky her. They paused to look at the sheriff and his men.

"Why all the sourpusses?" Dean asked as he smiled at them.

Sam looked around the room, he paused to look at a sign on the front of the only woman in the room's desk. 'Nancy Fitzgerald – Secretary'. She looked at him oddly before she reached for some rosary beads set on her desk. That was all he had time observe before they were pulled away by the cops.

"Hey, watch the merchandise." Dean said.

Apple noticed the same woman as Sam had. She seemed to be frightened. Apple couldn't blame her, she would have been just as scared. "We're not the ones you should be scared of, Nancy." Apple told her, a small smile was on her face. As if that was really going to give the woman any comfort, she probably was even more terrified than before.

The group of three were pushed into a cell, the bars slid closed as the cop pushed it shut, locking them in together. Apple sat on the bed and looked around. She'd never been in jail before, it was weird. Although she was sure this didn't technically qualify as jail, it was only a holding cell after all. She let out a laugh as she watched Sam and Dean try to walk in different directions but were unable to because of the chains around their ankles.

"Dean, come on!" Sam said irritated at the fact they were even in this stupid situation .

"Alright, alright. Sit?" Dean asked and Sam nodded at him. Apple moved over and made room for the brothers. Dean could feel Apple's arm as it gently rested next to his own and he took small comfort in that. The little, almost unnoticeable touch calmed him and helped him to concentrate on the situation at hand. It freaked him out slightly for the simple fact that he hadn't felt anything like that since Cassie, which had been an extremely long time ago. He turned his attention back to the present as he remembered they were locked in jail. "How're we gonna Houdini out of this one?"

"Good question." Apple replied. She leaned back against the wall, her arm brushed Deans with the action. As soon as her arm was away from his, her skin felt cold; and she couldn't quite put her finger on the reason why.

- - - - -

Hendrickson pulled out his phone and took a seat away from the other officers in the building. "It's me," he said to the woman on the other side of the cellphone. "Is Steven in? Well, get him out of his meeting." Hendrickson took off his bullet-proof best and laid it to his side, and looked at it before he turned his attention back to his call.

"Rose," said a voice on the other end.

"I got 'em," Hendrickson said.

"I can't believe it."

"The boys are going to be at super-max by morning. I'm taking a bus-load of men." He reported.

"A bus? What, you trying to give me another ulcer?" Rose asked.

"We're taking every precaution we can."

"Like last time?" Rose started, sarcasm colored his tone. "And the time before that? We're going to need a helicopter."

"Whatever you think is best." Hendrickson replied.

"Damn right. And I'll be on it. Can't take you losing those boys again. They have been a primary thorn in my ass for months. So Viktor. glue your eyeballs to 'em till I get there."

Hendrickson hung up the phone and rubbed a tired hand over his face. After months of hard work, the Winchester brothers were finally behind bars; it was finally over, he felt a sense of satisfaction at that thought. He stood up and walked back into the main part of the police station.

"Sheriff, a helicopter is on its way."

"But we don't have a landing pad."

"Then clear the damn parking lot!" Hendrickson nearly yelled. He didn't have time for some nobody sheriff to argue with him.

- - - - -

"You know what I'm trying to decide? What to have for dinner tonight," Hendrickson said as he stood before the trio in their cell. "Steak, or lobster. I mean what the hell. Surf and Turf. I got a lot to celebrate, I mean after all – seeing you two in chains?"

"You kinky son of a bitch, we don't swing that way." Dean replied, a cocky grin on his face.

"There's just one thing I can't figure out. You." Hendrickson said as he pointed at Apple. "What you doing with the likes of these two? From what I can find, you're clean. No criminal record, not even a speeding ticket."

Apple leaned forward, her arm rested on Dean's shoulder, then her chin rested on that. She grinned up at Hendrickson. "What can I say agent? I'm a sucker for bad boys."

"That's funny." Hendrickson said. He still didn't see how a girl like Apple could stick with Dean and Sam, two of the worst criminals he had ever seen. How could she be alright with that? How could she be alright with the horrible things they did? She was just as sick and twisted as they were.

"You know, I wouldn't bust out the melted butter just yet." Dean went on. He paused to grin over at Apple, proud of her for the witty comment she had made. He turned back to Hendrickson, he leaned back and looked extremely casual about being locked up... yet again. "Couldn't catch us at the bank... couldn't keep us in that jail..."

"You're right. I screwed up. I underestimated you. I didn't count on you being that smart," he said. "But now, I"m ready."

"Ready to lose to us again?" Dean asked.

"Ready like a court-order to keep you three in a super-max prison in Nevada until trial," Hendrickson interrupted. "Ready like keeping you in a sound-proof windowless cell that's so small that between you and me, it's probably unconstitutional. How's that for ready? Take a good look at Sam and Apple. You will probably never see each other again."

Apple, Sam, and Dean just stared at the FBI agent. This seriously couldn't be happening. Apple didn't see how they could hold her, but then again, they could get her as an accomplice. Shit.

"Aw. Where's that smug smile, Dean?"

"You've got the wrong guys." Dean said in their defense after a few minutes of silence.

"Oh yeah, that's right, I forgot. You fight monsters." An amused grin spread across Hendrickson's face, he loved how he could throw their inevitable end into their faces. He had them, and there was nothing they could do about it. "Sorry Dean, truth is your daddy probably brain-washed you with all that devil-talk and no doubt touched you in a bad place. That's all, that's reality."

Apple was pissed now. Hendrickson had no right to talk about John Winchester that way. She'd never met the man personally, but she'd heard many stories and they always painted him as a great man who loved his family, and fought for them. "Why don't you shut your mouth," Apple said, her tone filled with anger.

"And you. What'd they do to you? No doubt brain-washed you too. Sad really, I hate to see you go down. As far as I know you've done nothing wrong. But now, we'll have you as an accomplice."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" She argued as she stood to her feet. She felt a hand lightly on her arm and looked down to see it was Dean's. She sat back down and glared at Hendrickson.

"Guess what? Life sucks, get a helmet. 'Cause everybody's got a sob story, but not everybody becomes a killer." Hendrickson finished. "And now I have three less to worry about." The sound of a chopper as it neared the police station filled the air and Hendrickson started to walk away. "It's Surf and Turf time." He laughed before he left the room.

- - - - -

Hendrickson walked out of the building to meet Rose, he held his hand out to the man and they shook hands. Rose held out a stack of papers to the other man and Hendrickson took them.

"What's this?"

"What can I say? The FBI didn't invent bureaucracy, we perfected it." Rose replied.

"You want me to do all this now?" Hendrickson asked, shocked.

"Sorry. Now, Vicktor, I'm gonna go take a good little gander at our fugitives."

- - - - -

Rose walked into the holding cell area and closed the door behind himself. "Sam and Dean Winchester, Apple Delaney, I'm Deputy Director Steven Rose. This is a pleasure."

"Well I'm glad one of us feels that way." Dean replied.

"I've been waiting a long time for the two of you and your new little friend to come out of the woodwork," Rose went on. He pulled out a gun and shot Dean in the shoulder. Apple immediately went to Dean's side, she tried to pull him back and away from the fight going on between Rose and Sam.

Sam wrestled the gun upward and way from Dean and Apple. They continued to struggle for a few minutes through the bars when Sam's heart fell to the bottom of his stomach. Rose's eyes had turned black. Immediately, Sam started to recite an exorcism. Dean and Apple watched in amazement as the demon writhed around, but stopped.

"Sorry, I gotta cut this short. It's gonna be a long night, fellas!" Rose said before the demon left the man's body.

- - - - -

Hendrickson was up on his feet as he heard muffled yells coming from the holding cell area. The sheriff and the agent ran into the room, guns poised at the three in the cell. They yelled at Dean, Sam, and Apple to hit their knees after they saw Rose face down on the floor, dead.

"We didn't shoot him! He shot Dean." Sam tried to explain as he put the gun through the bars to show them he was not going to shoot anyone.

"We didn't shoot him. Go ahead, check the body. There's no blood, we did not kill him." Apple tried. She hoped to the help Sam out, as well as Dean and herself.

The sheriff moved forward and got on his knees beside the body. He checked Rose over and found no gun shot wounds, or any type of wound for that matter.

"He's probably been dead for months." Dean said. He grimaced slightly in pain. Apple pressed her hand lightly over the wound to apply more pressure to stop the blood as it flowed from the wound.

"What did you do to him?" Hendrickson asked as he looked at Apple.

"We didn't do anything to him." Apple said.

"Talk, or I shoot." Hendrickson warned.

"You won't believe us." Dean replied.

"He was possessed." Sam said after a moment.

"Possessed! Right. Fire up the chopper, we're taking them out of here now," Hendrickson ordered.

"Yeah, do that."

They watched as the deputy tried to call one of his men on the radio, there was only static. He tried once more before Hendrickson told him to check it out.

- - - - -

The deputy walked outside as he tried to figure out where his men were. They couldn't have skipped out on their job, he knew they were much braver than that. He looked around and spotted one of his men laying on the ground, dead. As he got closer, he realized that everyone around and in the chopper was dead as well.

"They're dead." He said over the radio, his voice sounded shaky to even his own ears. "I think they're all dead."

As the word 'dead' left his mouth, a loud explosion sounded.

"What the hell was that?" Hendrickson said into his radio.

The deputy stood up from the ground. He looked to where the chopper was and watched as flames consumed it. He turned around to go back inside when he was stopped by an agent. He felt goosebumps cover his body as he stared into the agent's black eyes. The agent grabbed the deputy and a blood curling scream left his mouth.

+chapter title: untamed - gavin degraw


	7. chapter seven

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.

* * *

**Like a virgin  
Chapter Seven**

The men left in the police station loaded their guns as they tried to call for help. No one could seem to get a line. What the hell was going on? A sort of panic filled the building. How could all forms of communication just be shut off like that? It'd never happened to them before and they weren't sure what to do now, they couldn't get a word out for help.

"The internet, my cell, it's all dead. How can it all be dead?" Nancy asked just as the lights went out.

"Well that can't be good," Dean called from the cell he was currently shared with Apple and Sam.

"Oh my God." Nancy said.

"It's alright. We're leaving right now." The sheriff said to her as he put his hand lightly on her shoulder.

"Nobody's going anywhere!" Hendrickson yelled. "Everybody just calm down."

"My men are out there."

"I understand that, but if we go out there, we're going to be killed too. They're out there, and they're coming in here! This is a siege!" Hendrickson said calmly as he looked at the people in the room. "Now, go lock the windows, bar the doors, and act like trained professionals with some sense." He ordered.

Hendrickson watched as the sheriff left with his last man to do as they were told. "You okay?" He asked Nancy as he turned to face her.

Nancy looked at him for a moment before she nodded her head 'yes', then changed her mind and shook her head 'no'.

"I shouldn't think so. Nancy, right?" he said. "I'm gonna get you through this, you got my word. You got that?" He watched as Nancy nodded once more.

- - - - -

Apple continued to try to care for Dean's shoulder. She felt him wince beneath her ministrations. "Don't be such a wuss."

"What's the plan?" Hendrickson asked as he made his way into the holding cell area. The trio turned to look at him. "Kill everyone in the station and bust you three out?"

"What the hell're you talking about?" Dean asked in disbelief. The guy seriously couldn't think they were behind this?

"I'm talking about your psycho friends, I'm talking about a bad blood bath."

"Okay, I promise you. Whoever's out there? Is not here to help us." Dean said.

"You gotta believe us. Everyone here is in terrible danger." Apple pleaded. She feared for the lives of everyone in the building.

"Ya think?"

"Why don't you let us out of here so we can save your asses?" Dean asked from his position next to Apple.

"From what? You gonna say demons? Don't you dare say demons." Hendrickson said as he held up his gun. "Lemme tell you something. You should be a lot more scared of me," he finished before he walked away from the cell.

"How's the shoulder?" Apple asked as she noticed Dean wince. She lifted up the cloth and looked at the wound.

"It's awesome." He replied. "I'll live. You know, if we get out of here alive. So, either of you two have a plan?"

Apple checked the back of Dean's shoulder before she shook her head 'no'. She didn't know what to do. She turned to look at Sam. "He's still bleeding, it's slowed down some, but if he loses too much more it won't be good."

"Hey, please, please, we need your help." Sam called to Nancy who he had just noticed in the doorway. "It's Nancy, right? My brother's been shot, he's bleeding really bad. You think you could get us a towel? Please, just one clean towel? Look – look at us, we're no the bad guys. I swear."

They watched as Nancy disappeared. Apple sighed, as she applied a little more pressure on Dean's wound.

"Nice try." Dean said, but fell silent as Nancy appeared, a clean towel in hand. She stepped forward and put her hand through the bars. She thrusted the towel out toward Sam.

"Thank you." Sam smiled.

He suddenly grabbed her and pulled her against the bars of the cell. She screamed and tried to pull away. A deputy was down in the holding area in no time at all, gun pointed at Sam.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Dean said as Sam let the young woman go.

"You okay, Nance?" The deputy asked. After she nodded her head, he turned back to Sam. "Try something again, and get shot. And not in the arm."

"Okay," Sam complied.

"What the hell was that?" Dean asked voiced raised as he whacked Sam on the arm as the deputy and Nancy left. He raised an eyebrow as Sam held up the rosary beads he had stolen off of the woman.

- - - - -

Apple continued to sit beside Dean, her hand rested on his shoulder with the towel under it. She hummed quietly to herself as she looked over his wound. He was going to need more work done on it as soon as they found a way out of this place, but for now the bleeding had nearly stopped.

"We're like sitting ducks in here," Sam said darkly, the words pierced the veil of silence that had fallen over them, minus Apple's quiet hum.

"Yeah I know. Would it kill these cops to bring us a snack?" Dean yelled and Apple couldn't help but chuckle.

"Is that all you ever think about Dean? Food?" Apple questioned as she checked his wound once more. She knew she was too worried about his wound, and she knew he could probably put up with much more than just a gun shot wound. But still, she was worried about him, memories of Brower County always plagued her and she jutst couldn't help but obsess over any wounds he might have gained. She didn't care if Dean didn't like it, she was going to take care of him whether he liked it not. Even if he didn't like being fussed over, he never told her 'no' or made her stop.

"You bet, Apple-pie. Oh, that sounds good. I want apple pie now." He pouted for a second before he looked up at Sam. "How many do you think are out there?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. They could possess anyone and just walk right in." Sam answered. He sat down on the ground beside Dean's feet. Sam's brown eyes looked up and watched as Apple gently cared for Dean. She was good with that, if either of the boys was wounded, she was at their side happy to patch them up. It seemed weird to Sam that Dean was alright with the way Apple would sometimes fussed over him and his wounds. Dean usually didn't like when anyone did that, he claimed he could take care of himself. Dean never seemed to put up a fight with Apple.

"It's kinda wild, right?" Dean asked. "I mean, it's like they're coming right for us. They've never done that before. It's like we got a contract on us." Dean smiled at Apple before his green eyes turned back to Sam. "You think it's 'cause we're awesome? I think it's cause we're so awesome."

"I kinda like Dean's idea Sam. I mean, about our being awesome." She agreed, as she smiled back at Dean.

Just as they finished their conversation, the sheriff walked in and opened the cell door. "It's time to go, guys."

"Uhhhh, you know what, I think we're just comfy right here. But thank you." Dean said, as he protectively pulled Apple and Sam away from the open cell door.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hendrickson asked as he walked into the room.

"I'm not gonna sit around here and wait to die, we're gonna make a run for it." The sheriff informed Hendrickson.

"It's safer here." Hendrickson said.

"There's a S. W. A. T. facility in Boulder."

"We're not going anywhere." Hendrickson said firmly.

"The hell we're not!" The sheriff said before a gun shot echoed throughout the room.

Apple watched in shock as Hendrickson stood over the sheriff's body, gun still poised over him. Dean tapped Apple lightly, and she snapped out of it. She took the towel lightly away from Dean's shoulder. Dean and Sam grabbed Hendrickson and shoved his head into the toilet water, which Sam had smartly turned into holy water before hand. Sam began to recite an exorcism but was interrupted by the demon possessed Hendrickson.

"It's too late." He said, his eyes now black as coal. "I already called them. They're already coming."

Sam quickly finished the exorcism. The boys dropped Hendrickson's body to the ground. They heard a quiet yelp, and turned to look at Nancy.

"Is he dead?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Hendrickson sat up suddenly and started to cough. "Is that you in there?" Sam asked as Hendrickson stared at him.

"I shot the sheriff..." he said.

"But you didn't shoot the deputy." Apple smacked Dean lightly on his good shoulder.

"A few moments ago I was fine... and then..."

"Let me guess, some nasty black smoke jammed itself down your throat?" Dean suggested.

"You were possessed." Apple said carefully.

"Possessed like... possessed," Hendrickson said.

"That's what it feels like. Now you know," Sam explained.

"I owe you the biggest I-told-you-so-ever," Dean joked as he handed Hendrickson his gun. He gave Apple an innocent kind of smile as she, in return, gave him a stern look.

Hendrickson grabbed the keys and let the two boys and one girl go. "Alright. So how do we survive?" He asked.

- - - - -

Apple turned her attention away from Dean for a second and watched as Sam sprayed symbols onto the floor with red spray paint. She turned back to Dean and continued to stitch up his wound. The pair looked at the men who had brought in all the guns they owned.

"That's nice, but it's not gonna do any good." Dean said.

"We've got an arsenal here," the deputy informed him.

"You don't poke a bear with a BB gun." Dean said. "It's just gonna make them mad."

"What do you need?" Hendrickson asked.

"Salt," Dean answered. "Lots and lots of salt."

"Salt," the deputy repeated.

"What, is there an echo in here?" He asked sarcastically.

"There's road salt in the store room." Nancy suggested from her desk.

"Perfect," Dean said. "Perfect – we need salt at every window and every door." The men left and Dean turned his attention back to Apple. She smiled at him softly. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright. I've never dealt with something this huge before, so it's kind of overwhelming for me. But I think I'm handling it alright. You okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks for patching me up. You're pretty good with a needle and thread." Dean said, as he grinned slightly.

"Anytime Dean. Just call me the registered nurse of the group."

"Hot."

"Dean." Apple said, her tone mock-stern; she just received yet another grin. She looked away from him and toward Nancy, she felt bad for the innocent woman. "How are you doing, Nancy?"

"I'm okay. When I was little, I used to come home from church, and talk about the devil... my parents would tell me to stop being so literal. I guess I showed them, huh?"

Apple smiled at her. "You're doing really good, Nancy. Just hang on and the three of us will get you out of here."

The two men came back into the room. They dropped the bags of salt on the ground. "Where's my car?" Dean asked.

"In the impound out back," the deputy replied. "Wait – you're not going out there."

"Yeah, I gotta get something out of my trunk."

- - - - -

Apple followed closely behind Dean as they ran outside to the impound. They entered through the gate and their eyes immediately fell on the Impala. Apple stood as a lookout as Dean stuffed weapons into his duffel bag.

"Dean, we gotta hurry up. Look." Apple whispered as she motioned for him to turn around. They watched as the lights at a gas station across the way flickered and black smoke came around the corner. Tons of black smoke approached them and Apple nearly panicked as it drew closer. Dean threw the rest of his stuff into the duffel bag and grabbed Apple's arm as they sped back to the building.

- - - - -

"They're coming." Dean yelled as he and Apple entered the building.

Sam finished the symbols on the floor as Nancy put the last of the salt at the windows. A demon suddenly appeared in the window. Nancy screamed as she looked into the cold, black eyes. In seconds, the whole building was surrounded by black smoke. Everyone stood still, waiting, then there was nothing; the smoke

had completely disappeared.

"Everybody okay?" Sam asked as he looked.

Dean plunged his hand into his bag and pulled out a few small charms. He handed one to Hendrickson, the deputy and Nancy. "What about you three?" Hendrickson asked.

Apple, and the rest of the small group watched as the boys pulled down the collars of their shirts and revealed the devil's trap tattoos on their chests. She then lowered her the right side of her jeans down slightly, she also revealed a devil's trap tattoo on her hip bone.

Apple remembered seeing Dean and Sam's tattoos a week after having stayed with them, she was surprised to learn that was another thing they had in common. She remembered having told them she had been possessed by a demon when she was nineteen. After it had been exercised, a family friend gave her the idea of getting the devil's trap tattooed somewhere as a form of protection against a possession ever happening to her again. Apple had never been more grateful for the advice.

"Smart. How long have you had those?" Hendrickson asked.

"Not long enough." Sam replied.

- - - - -

Not much time had passed when Nancy peered out the window, she looked at all the people who stood outside. She recognized a friend of hers, but Sam immediately informed her that it wasn't her friend anymore.

"Is that where the black smoke went?" Nancy asked as she looked over her shoulder at Sam.

"Looks like it," he replied.

The deputy followed Nancy's lead and looked out the window. Without his realization, his arm brushed away some of the salt on the window. A small gap in the salt line remained unnoticed.

- - - - -

"Shotgun shells full of salt," Hendrickson said, as he and Dean loaded the guns.

"Whatever works," he replied.

"Fighting off monsters with condiments..." Hendrickson muttered. "So. It turns out demons are real."

"FYI, so are ghosts." Dean said before he popped another shell into one of the guns. "And werewolves. And vampires. Changelings. Evil clowns that eat people."

Hendrickson nodded his head. "Okay then."

"If it makes you feel better, Bigfoot's a hoax." Dean smiled.

"It doesn't." The agent said with a slight frown. "How many demons?"

"Total? No clue. A lot."

"You know what my job is?"

"You mean besides locking up the good guys? No, I have no idea."

"It's boring. It's frustrating. You work three years for one break, and then maybe can save... a few people. Maybe. It's all been a waste. I'm here because of that." Hendrickson paused for a second before he continued on. "So what's out there? Can you guys beat it? Can you win?"

"Honestly?" Dean replied. "I think the world's gonna end bloody. But does that mean we shouldn't fight? We do have choices. I choose to go down swinging." He finished.

"Plus you've got nothing to go home to but your brother." Hendrickson added.

Dean thought for a moment. That was true, he had nothing left but Sammy, then the brunette girl that seemed to fit in so perfectly with them came into his mind. He had her to come home to too, even if it wasn't in a way he might have wanted. He had her and Sammy to protect, to come home to, to fight with, to fight for. He shook his head as he turned back to Hendrickson. "Yeah. What about you? You rocking the white picket fence?"

"No. Empty apartment, string of angry ex-wives... I'm right where you are," he said, then laughed quietly.

"Imagine that," Dean said.

- - - - -

Glass shattered in the next room and both men were up and in the room within seconds. "How do we kill her?" Hendrickson asked as he stared at the blond woman before them.

"We don't." Sam said. "She's here to help us."

Ruby. Apple had heard Sam speak often of her, a demon who was out to help them. It was a weird concept and she assumed she'd have to see her help them out in person to actually believe the story, even though she did trust Sam and Dean with her life. Even Dean had mentioned her once or twice, but she had seemed to be there more for Sam than anything.

"You gonna let me out?" She asked Sam. He scratched a little bit of the paint and the symbol was broken. "And they say chivalry's dead. Does anyone have a breath mint? Some guts splattered in my mouth when I was fighting my way in here."

Apple brushed the salt back into its place on the window before she caught up with Ruby, Sam, and Dean in the next room. "How many are out there?" She heard Dean ask.

"Thirty at least. So far," Ruby replied.

"Oh good. Thirty," Dean started. "Thirty hit-man all gunning for us. Who sent them?"

Ruby looked over at Sam. "You didn't tell Dean?" Dean looked up, surprised by her question. "I'm surprised."

"Tell me what?" Dean asked.

"There's a big new up and comer. A real pied-piper."

"Who is he?"

"Not he. Her," Ruby replied. "Her name's Lillith. And she really, really wants Sam's intestines on a stick. Guess she sees him as competition."

"You knew about this?" Dean waited for an answer from Sam, but he had gone strangely mute. "Well jeez Sam, is there anything else I should know?" He asked.

Ruby turned to Apple, "And you, they don't like you much either."

"What'd I do?" She asked, confused.

"You're helping them out. It's that simple. They don't like you because you're helping the Winchesters. I'd be careful if I were you." Ruby warned. "And as for you two, how about you talk about this later," she paused in thought. "We'll need the Colt."

The boys looked looked rather awkward, Sam shoved his hands into his pockets, as Dean ran a hand through his close-cropped hair. Apple simply stood in her place as she waited for either of them to tell Ruby where the Colt had been stolen.

"Where's the Colt?" Ruby asked.

"It got stolen," Sam finally said.

"I'm sorry, I must have blood in my ear. I thought I heard you say you let the Colt get stolen out of your think, clumsy, idiotic hands," Ruby snarled. "Fantastic. This is just peachy..."

"Ruby..." Sam began but was quickly cut off.

"Shut up," she said as she held her hand up. "Fine," she continued. "Seeing as we don't have another option, there's one other way that I know of to get you out of here alive."

"What's that?" Apple asked.

"I know a spell. It'll vaporize every demon in a one-mile radius. Myself included," she told them. "You let the Colt out of your sight, and now I have to die. So next time, be more careful. How's that for a dying wish?"

"Okay. So what do we do?" Dean asked.

"Aww. You can't do anything. This spell is very specific. It calls for a person of virtue." Ruby replied.

"I got virtue." He countered.

"Nice try. You're not a virgin." Ruby said as she rolled her eyes.

"What?"

"Nobody's a virgin."

They looked around the room for a moment. All four of their eyes landed on Nancy. Apple shook her head 'no'. No way was she about to let Nancy give up her life for them, no way in hell.

"No." Apple said. "I won't let Nancy do it. I'll take her place."

"No. No way, you're kidding me, right?"

"What? It's a choice, okay?" Apple defended. She didn't exactly want them all to know she was a virgin, but she'd just never made time for boys. Sure, she'd kissed and made out here and there, but sex? No. She wanted it to be special, and that was just the choice she had made. She didn't give a rat's ass if no one liked it, it was her body, her choice.

"So you've never... not even once? Wow," Dean said. He shook his head in disbelief. Though, a very small part of the Dean no one really saw, thought she was brave for holding onto the one thing that couldn't be taken back.

"So this spell. What do I do?" Apple asked as she bit her lip.

"You can hold still – while I cut your heart out of your chest," Ruby supplied as she approached her.

"What?" Apple gaped.

"What?" Dean asked. He definitely did not want Apple to die, there was no way he was going to allow for this to happen.

"I'm offering a solution." Ruby said.

"You're offering to kill somebody!" Dean argued.

"What do you think is gonna happen to her once the demons get in?" Ruby asked.

"We're gonna protect her, that's what," Hendrickson added.

"Would everybody please shut up?" Nancy yelled over all the commotion.

Everyone turned to look at the woman, what did she want?

"All those people out there. Will it save them?" She asked.

"It'll blow the demons out of their bodies. So if their bodies are okay, yeah," Ruby replied.

Everyone watched Nancy as she seemed to think this over. "I'll do it."

"No!" Apple, Dean, and Hendrickson said at once.

"I want to help my friends who are out there."

"We don't sacrifice people." Hendrickson said. "We do that, we're no better than them."

"We don't have a choice." Ruby argued. She was about ready to just throw her hands up and walk out.

"Yeah, well your choice is not a choice."

"Sam. You know I'm right," Ruby said as she looked at him. Everyone turned to look at Sam.

"Sam?" Dean questioned. "What the hell is going on? Sam, tell her!" Sam stood still and stayed quiet.

"It's my decision," Nancy piped up once more.

"Damn straight, cherry pie."

"Stop! Stop!" Dean yelled. "Nobody's killing virgins. Neither Nancy or Apple. Sam, Apple, we need to talk."

- - - - -

"Please tell me you're not actually considering this," Dean said once he had gotten Sam and Apple into a room alone so they could discuss this whole thing. "We're talking about holding down a girl and cutting out her heart."

"Would you have let Ruby do that to me?" Apple asked. "I mean, I volunteered for the job. You can't let Ruby kill that poor girl."

"You know I wouldn't have let her hurt you Apple. We're talking about thirty people out there, though. Innocent people. Who are all going to die, along with everyone in here," Sam argued.

"That doesn't mean we throw away the rule book and stop acting like humans!" Dean said, desperate to get Sam to understand. "I'm not going to let that demon kill some nice, sweet, innocent girl who hasn't even been laid! I mean if that's how you win wars, then I don't wanna win." He looked over at Apple and gave her a small smile, she shrugged her shoulders and waited for Sam's response.

"Then what? What do we do, Dean?"

"I got a plan," The oldest Winchester said. "I'm not saying it's a good one, I'm not even saying it'll work. But it's sure as hell beats killing a virgin."

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Apple asked.

"Open the doors. Let 'em all in, and we fight."

AN: Chapter title – Like A Virgin-Madonna


	8. author's note

Ok. So I've got an author's note for everyone who reads my story. I know I said I was going to do the last six episodes of season three, after thinking about it I decided to cut out one particular episode. "Ghostfacers" isn't going to be in the series, mainly because I just remembered it was a filler and as much as I enjoyed that particular episode, it'd difficult to work into the story. I might come back and do it later, and have it be just another story or an alternate chapter.

I just thought I'd let everyone know so they wouldn't get confused as to why "Ghostfacers" wasn't included. I hope everyone is enjoying the series. I'd like to know how I'm doing so you can just leave me a review or whatever. And thanks for taking the time out to read my story, I really appreciate it.


	9. chapter eight

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.

**It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah**

**Chapter Eight**

Dean and Apple walked into the main room. They had left Sam alone so he was able to finish his part of the plan. Apple sighed as she watched as he joined them in the room with everyone else.

"Get the equipment to work?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Sam replied.

"So?"

"So this is insane," Sam said.

"You win understatement of the year," Ruby quipped, her tone full of sarcasm.

"Look, I get it. You think..." Dean started but Ruby had quickly cut him off.

"I don't think! I know. It's not gonna work." Ruby stood up and started to walk away. "So long."

"So you're just gonna leave?" Apple asked.

"Hey," she started. "I was gonna kill myself to help you win. I'm not gonna stand here and watch you lose. And I'm disappointed. Because I tried, I really did. But clearly, I've been on the wrong horse. Do you mind letting me out?" Most of what she had said was for Sam, Apple and Dean could tell that much just by the way she looked at him.

They watched as Sam once again scratched the paint and let her out. Ruby climbed through the window and stood before the demons. "I'm leaving. Who wants to stop me?" She asked before she walked through the group of demons and left the humans inside the building.

- - - - -

Apple looked over at Dean as they walked through the mostly deserted building. She sighed as they separated from each other so they could do their own part in Dean's brilliant plan. They opened the doors and brushed the salt and symbols away, prepared to fight the thirty or more demons that waited for them on the other side.

"You ready for this?" Dean asked as threw her a gun.

Apple cocked her gun and grinned over at him. "You bet your ass."

The joined up with the group again and prepared to fight. Once the demons had made their way into the building, there was chaos all around. Guns were fired left and right, holy water was splashed at the demons who burned and hissed in fury. Apple had never felt such an adrenaline rush in all of her life. She splashed a woman, who was about her age, in the face with holy water before shooting her with her gun.

Dean and Sam managed to get quite a few down, and even Hendrickson hadn't done so bad. Apple grabbed Nancy and the two girls grabbed a few bags of salt and headed to the roof. Once on top, they carefully made their way down to the ground.

"You go left, and I'll go right." Nancy nodded before she headed off in the direction Apple had instructed.

Both girls sprinkled the salt around the windows and doors and effectively trapped the demons inside. Apple met up with Nancy and slipped into the building.

The sight they were met with wasn't exactly one Apple had wanted to see. She knew it was part of the plan, but she still didn't want to stand back and not do anything as her boys were backed into a corner and pinned to the wall by a female demon. She curled her fingers into fists as she watched the scene.

"Hendrickson, now." Dean yelled.

Sam's voice filled the building, the exorcism he recited filtered through the speakers . They watched as the demons screamed, and fled the human bodies. Dean and Sam fell from the wall as Hendrickson walked in. The small group exchanged glances.

- - - - -

"I'd better call in,"Hendrickson said as everybody started to leave. "Another story I won't be telling."

"What are you gonna tell them?" Apple asked.

"I'm going to kill you guys." He said. Apple, Dean, and Sam exchanged looks before they stared at Hendrickson. "Sam and Dean Winchester, and Apple Delaney were in the chopper when it caught on fire," he said. "Nothing's left. Can't even identify them. Rest in peace, guys." Everyone shook hands before the trio headed to the Impala.

- - - - -

A little girl walked into the police station, she held tight to the hand of a woman. "Well hey there," Nancy said as she cleaned up from the mess earlier.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for two boys," said the girl sweetly. "They're brothers. One's really tall, and one's really cute?"

Nancy laughed. "What's your name, sweetie?"

The girl paused for a second. "Lillith." Her eyes changed to a horrible white color. Hendrickson moved forward with a gun, the girl held up her hand and there was a bright flash of white light.

- - - - -

Sam, Dean, and Apple relaxed in their beds as they watched an infomercial on George Foreman grills. Apple cocked her head to the side as they heard a knock on the door. Dean slid from beside her, walked to the door, and opened it.

Ruby walked in and looked at Sam who she noticed had the remote beside him. "Turn on the news."

"The community is still reeling from the tragedy that happened just a few hours ago," a reporter said. "Police believe a gas main ruptured, causing a massive explosion, and claiming the lives of everyone inside. Among the deceased at least six police officers and staff including Sheriff Melvin Dodd, Deputy Phil Amichi, and Secretary Nancy Fitzgerald, as well as three FBI agents identified as Steven Groves, Calvin Reidy, and Viktor Fitzgerald, as well. Three fugitives in custody were also killed."

Apple, Sam, and Dean fell silent, horrified at the turn of events. They had just saved them, everyone had been safe. How could this have happened? Ruby looked at the two boys and one girl.

"Must've happened after we left," Sam said as he lifted his head from his hands.

"Considering the size of the blast, smart money's on Lillith," Ruby said as she tossed small bags to Dean, Sam, and Apple.

"What's in these?" Apple asked.

"It'll protect you. Throw Lillith off your trail – for the time being at least."

"Thanks." Sam said quietly.

"Don't thank me. Lillith killed everyone. She slaughtered your other precious little virgin as well as half a dozen other people. So after your big speech about humanity in war, it turns out your plan? Was the one with the body count. Do you know how to fight a battle? You strike fast, and you don't leave any survivors, so no one can go running to tell the boss. So next time? We go with my plan." With that said, she turned from them and walked out of the door.

Apple, Sam, and Dean looked at each other, all three felt the same way; confused and upset.

+chapter title: hallelujah – jeff buckley


	10. chapter nine

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.

**With my screaming in your itching ears**

**Chapter Nine**

Thunder raged outside as a man sat nervously in his chair. His hand shook as he took a drink of his scotch. It was dark inside and outside of his modest home, the only light came from a lamp not far from him. He jumped as the phone rang. The man stared at it as it continued to ring, his brain told him not to pick it up but he did anyway.

"Hello?" He said, his voice shook as he waited for someone on the other line to speak.

"Ben?" A woman's voice said.

"Linda."

"I had to talk to you," she whispered.

"You can't keep calling here."

"I know. I know, just tell me you've thought about it, please," Linda went on.

"There's nothing to think about it."

"Don't say that."

"I can't," Ben said sadly. "You know I can't, my wife..."

"I'm begging you, come to me," the woman said desperately. "Come to me, Ben."

"No." He said as he hung up the phone. He looked down in shock as the phone immediately started to ring. Ben picked it up once more. "Linda, please. Please, just leave me alone."

"I'm not going to stop," Linda said. "I miss you, Ben. We could be happy! We could be happy together."

"This is crazy."

"I love you, Ben," she whispered. "I love you, forever. Don't you love me?"

"You know I do," Ben said to the woman. "More than anything. But – I'm sorry." He hung up the phone again, and like the time before it rang once more.

Ben, in anger, smashed the phone on the desk and ripped the cord out of the wall. Why wouldn't she leave him alone? He loved her too, but he had his wife to think about. Silence fell over the room once more, he picked up his drink and went to sit in his chair when the phone rang.

Desperation overtook the man as he walked toward his desk. He sighed as he pulled open a drawer and retrieved a gun out of it. "Okay Linda," he said wearily. "You win. I'm coming."

- - - - -

Apple looked over at Dean as he slept beside her. Why was everyone so worried about Dean? They continued to talk about him being saved. Why did Dean need to be saved? She didn't see anything wrong with him, she had gotten extremely annoyed with the way they talked about it in front of her. She had absolutely no idea what was going on. Apple was sick of it, and she intended to do something about that.

She waited till the trio was seated at the kitchen table of their motel room for breakfast. Apple took a bite of her pancakes and contemplated the best way to bring up her question \. She took a sip of her water and looked at both the boys as they ate their own pancakes.

"So, why does Dean need to be saved?" Apple asked, she looked at Sam first, then at Dean.

"What?" Sam was startled by her abrupt question.

"I want to know why everyone talks about saving Dean. I don't see anything wrong with him. Why does he need to be saved?"

Sam sighed as he looked over at Dean. Dean looked at him, unsure of whether or not they should tell the girl.

"Look, I've been with you guys for a while now. I've earned my keep, I've helped you out. Now tell me what you're hiding from me. I care about Dean, I deserve to know." Apple blushed as the words left her mouth, she prayed they thought she meant as a friend. Truthfully, she did like Dean, she'd grown to like him. She never thought anything would come of it, and she left it at that. Unrequited feelings, she could live with that; she would have to live with that.

"Dean?" Sam asked quietly.

Dean stared at the girl. She'd never been so adamant about anything, she usually was quiet and offered up things here and there; but she'd never pushed like that. He was torn, he liked Apple, he did. He'd admitted it to himself after they left Colorado, but that didn't mean he would do anything about it. He couldn't bring himself to. He couldn't tell her the truth now, he remembered the look of sadness in her eyes in Brower County, when she had told him that Sam and herself had watched him die. He wouldn't put that sadness in her eyes. Not again.

"I've got less than two months till I become the first male Spice Girl, Hunter Spice." He said, the look on his face was dead serious.

Both Sam and Apple stared at him. Sam's face was that of utter disbelief. Had Dean seriously just told Apple that? Apple had a look of 'you seriously don't expect me to believe that do you?' on her face. She shook her head.

"Dean!" She said seriously.

"Fine." He sighed as he looked at Sam. "I've got two months until I have to marry Jo. She's the daughter of an old friend of ours."

Sam stared. Who was Dean kidding? "Seriously, Dean?"

"Okay. Okay. I have less than two months until a demon comes to kill me." It was a half truth. Something did plan to come take Dean's soul, but he hadn't told her the _exact_ truth, just kind of left out a few key details.

"Dean are you seriously gong to keep pulling these lies out of your ass? I'm not stupid. Just tell me what the hell is going on."

He looked at Sam for help, but received nothing. It was his tale to tell. "I've got less then two months until my soul goes to hell," he finally admitted.

"What?" Apple asked. She paused in thought. She looked into his green eyes and for once since she had asked her question, saw the truth that rested behind his words. "Okay," she said. "Why?"

"Last year Sammy was murdered, I sold my soul to bring him back. The demon gave me one year, then my soul goes to hell. I've got less than two months," he repeated.

"Is there anyway to save you?"

"We're trying to do everything we can. Bobby, Ruby, and I have been trying to find a way out of it." Sam told the girl.

"Well, I'm going to help." Apple had no idea what she could do to help, but she'd do whatever it took. She wasn't going to lose Dean, not after having lost him in almost every single way possible in Brower County. There was no way she was going to let him go for real. "Sorry about being so pushy. It was just hard to have everyone talk about saving Dean and having no idea why he needed to be saved."

Both brothers nodded at her. They felt a little relief at her having finally found out about Dean's deal. She might have been able to offer some solution, though they doubted that. But still, maybe she could help them find a way out.

- - - - -

Later that day, Apple and Dean sat on a bench in a rain slicked courtyard as they waited for Sam. She thought about what she had found out about Dean's deal. It explained a lot about what they had been doing since Colorado. They hadn't worked any cases, but Sam, herself, and Bobby had been doing research, and that research didn't make any sense to Apple. Now that she knew the truth, it made more sense.

Apple zoned back in as she looked over at Dean. She listened as he spoke on his phone, she listened to his voice and looked around the courtyard. She noticed Sam as he walked toward them and offered a small smile.

"Okay, got it." Dean said as he slid his phone closed. He stood as Sam finally reached them, he held a hand out for Apple and she took it.

"So?" She asked as she pulled herself to her feet.

"So... the professor doesn't know crap."

"Shocking." Dean replied as he walked past Sam. "We need to pack 'cause we're hitting the road."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Bobby called. Some banker blew his head off in Ohio and he thinks there's a spirit involved." Dean explained, slightly irritated.

"So you two were talking a case?"

"No, actually we were talking about our feelings," Dean replied. "And our favorite boy bands. Yeah we were talking a case!"

"So a spirit?" Apple asked after a minute of silence.

"Well the banker was complaining about some electrical problems at his pad for like a week – phones going haywire, computers flipping on and off, huh?" Dean looked at Sam who seemed completely uninterested. He turned to look at Apple who shrugged her shoulders. "This not ringing your bell?"

"Yeah, sure, but Dean we're on a case," Sam finally replied.

"Whose?"

"Yours."

"Yeah, right. Well could've fooled me." Dean turned and started to walk away from them. They had worked on every possibly lead to get Dean out of his deal, but nothing they did brought any kind of result. He just wanted to do his job now.

"What the hell else have we been doing lately other than trying to break your deal?" Sam said, his voice raised slightly.

"Chasing our tells, that's what!" Dean said then let out a small exasperated breath. "Sam, we've talked to every professor, witch, sooth-sayer... nobody knows squat. And we can't find Bela, we can't find the Colt, so until we actually find something? I'd like to do my job."

"Well there's one thing we haven't tried," Sam said.

Apple looked at Sam expectantly. She had stayed quiet through the whole exchange, she knew this was mainly between Sam and Dean, and she knew when to keep her mouth shut.

"No." Dean said immediately.

"Dean, we should summon Ruby!" argued Sam.

"I'm not gonna have this fight." Dean began.

"She says she knows how to save you!" Sam shouted angrily.

"Well she can't."

"Oh and you know that for sure," Sam said sarcastically.

"I do." Dean argued right back.

"How?" Apple asked suddenly. Both boys looked at her, they had been so engrossed in their argument they had forgotten about the brunette girl who stood beside them.

"Because she told me," Dean said softly as he looked at the girl. He focused his gaze on Sam and let him know that the next part was for him. "Okay? Flat out, that she cannot save me. Nobody can."

"And you just somehow neglected to tell this to me?" Sam started.

"Well I really don't care what that bitch thinks, and neither should you," Dean said as he turned around again.

"So now you're keeping secrets from me, Dean?"

"You really want to talk about who's keeping secrets from who?" Dean cut in. Both Apple and Dean watched as Sam walked away. They exchanged glances. "Now where are you going?" Dean asked.

"I guess I'm going to Ohio," Sam said. Apple and Dean both shook their heads and followed the taller man.

- - - - -

"I found him – there," the deceased man's wife said to the Winchesters and Apple as they walked into the modest house. She pointed to the floor near a chair in the house's study.

"Why don't you tell us everything you saw, Mrs. Waters?" Apple asked as she smiled politely.

"You mean besides my dead husband?" The woman replied sarcastically.

Sam smiled at the woman slightly. "Just everything else you saw, please."

"Blood. Everywhere," she began. "The phone was ripped from the wall, his favorite scotch on the desk, what else could you possibly want to know?"

"Why was the phone ripped from the wall?" Apple asked.

"I don't know."

Sam walked to the phone and picked it up, he studied it for a moment before he looked at the widow. "Ma'am, what time did your husband die?" He asked as he went through the last numbers on the phone.

"Sometime after eleven," she answered.

"What about strange phone calls?" Dean asked. "Seen any of those lately? Weird interference, static, anything like that?"

"No," she said quickly. "No."

"Mrs. Waters, withholding information from the police is a capital offense," Dean began. He received weird looks from Sam and Apple, "In some parts of the world, I'm sure," he muttered.

"A couple of weeks ago, there was this.." began Mrs. Waters.

"This what?" Apple asked gently prodded.

"I woke up one morning and I heard Ben in his study – I thought he was talking to a woman," she said.

"What made you think that?"

"Because he kept calling her Linda," she replied. "The thing is, I picked up the other line, and nobody was there. Ben was talking to nobody."

"There was nothing," Sam said.

"Just... static."

"Did you ever speak to Ben about this phone call?" Apple inquired.

"No, I should've, but no," she said.

"Did he ever say who Linda was?"

"What difference does it make, there was no one on the other end!"

- - - - -

"Linda's a babe," Dean said as he looked at a picture on the laptop. Apple rolled her blue eyes. Dean caught this and grinned. "Or.. was."

"Find her?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, Linda Bateman. Her and Ben Waters were high school sweethearts," Apple replied as she read over the article.

"What happened?"

"Drunk driver hit them head on, Ben walked away," she finished.

"So what then, dead flame calls to chat?" Sam suggested from his position on his bed.

"You would think," Dean started. "But Linda was cremated. So why's she still floating around?"

"You got me."

"What about that caller ID?" Apple asked as she moved to sit across from Sam. She sat down on the bed she shared with Dean. He stood before the two, and looked down at Sam.

"Turns out it's a phone number," Sam informed them.

"It's not like any phone number I've ever seen."

"That's 'cause it's about a century old. From back when phones had cranks," Sam said.

Apple quirked an eyebrow. "So why use that number to reach out and touch someone?" She asked.

"You got me there too, but either way, we should run a trace on it."

"Well how the hell're we gonna trace a number that's over a hundred years old?" Dean asked.

+chapter title: i'm so sick - flyleaf


	11. chapter ten

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?  
Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.

**Everything about them is a little bit stranger  
****A little bit harder, a little bit deadly**

**Chapter Ten**

"We don't get too many people from HQ down here," the man said as he led Apple, Sam, and Dean into the building that housed the phone company. Sam batted at a fly that buzzed around his head as the man explained where the man they needed to talk to was. "I know, sorry. We've got something of a hygiene issue down here if you ask me."

He paused a moment before he opened the door to a room loaded with computers and circuit boards. He ushered them inside before he turned to the man that sat behind a few computers. "Stewie? What did I tell you about keeping this place clean?"

Apple quirked an eyebrow as she watched the man quickly close windows on his multiple computer screens. "Stewie Meyers. Mr. Campbell, Mr. Raimi, Miss Fellows..."

"I don't know how all these got here," Stewie muttered before the man grabbed his head.

"From Headquarters," he said meaningfully. "You give them whatever they need." The four watched as the man left the room.

"So. That Busty Asian Beauties dot com?" Dean asked.

"No," Stewie said as he closed the window. "Maybe."

"Word of the wise," Dean said. "Platinum membership? Worth every penny."

Apple snorted and rolled her eyes. She held her hands clasped in front of her as she resisted the urge to pop Dean on the back of the head. "Anyway," she said as she shot Dean a look. "We're here here to trace a number." She handed the piece of paper to Stewie.

"Where did you get this?"

"Off a caller ID," Sam said.

"That's impossible," Stewie began.

"It hasn't been used in a few years, we known." Dean cut in.

"A few years, it's prehistoric," he went on. "Trust me, nobody's using this number anymore."

Apple tapped her foot in annoyance. She wanted to get out of this place, it reeked. How could this guy work in here? It was just so dirty. "Could you run it anyway?" She asked irritated.

"Sure. Why don't I just rearrange my whole life first," Stewie said sarcastically.

"Listen. Stewie. You've got about six kinds of employee violation codes down here," Dean said seriously. "Not to mention the sickening porn clogging up your hard drive. So if my partner says run the number, I suggest you run the number."

Stewie quickly nodded his head and traced the number. "Holy crap," he said. "I can't tell you where the number comes from, but I can tell you where it's been going. Ten different houses in the past week all got calls from the same number." He got up and handed Apple a piece of paper with all the addresses on it. He sat back down and looked up at them. "So, are we done here? I was sort of busy."

- - - - -

Sam stepped out of his rental car and walked up to the house on the list Dean had chosen for him. He straightened out his suit before he rang the doorbell. He waited a few moments before a man opened the door. Sam introduced himself and inquired about their telephone service.

"Have you had any problems with your phone lately? Dropped calls, or strange voices on the other end of the line?" He asked.

"No, we haven't had any of that here." The man answered. Sam noticed a teenage girl who stood behind the man, she watched him carefully.

He thanked the man for his time before he turned around and walked back to his car. Just as he was about to climb in, he saw the girl from earlier. She stood just a few feet from his car and watched him once more.

"No way you work for the phone company," she finally said.

"Sure I do," Sam said casually.

"Since when does a phone guy drive a rental, or wear a cheap suit," the daughter asked.

"Yeah, well, maybe we're both keeping secrets."

"Why'd you ask my dad if he heard strange voices on the phone?"

"Why, did you hear something?"

"No," she answered quickly.

"My mistake. Thought maybe you did."

"Well, I didn't, okay?" The girl said defiantly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay. Sorry to bother you," Sam started. "Because if you did, then I would've told you that I've been right where you're standing now. Hearing things – even seeing things that couldn't be explained. Maybe I would've been able to help out a bit. Anyways..." Sam finished as he went to get in his car again.

"Hey, wait. Maybe I've been talking on the phone. With my mom," she said slowly.

"Well that's not so strange."

"She's dead," the girl went on. "Like three years now dead."

"How often does she call you?"

"A few times. It started a week ago," she told him. "I thought I was going crazy or something."

"Well I can tell you one thing for sure, and you're going to have to go with me on this, okay? You're not crazy." Sam said firmly.

- - - - -

"Dude, stiffs are calling people all over town," Dean said to Sam over the phone. He and Apple had just finished an interview with an elderly woman. "Me and Apple just talked to an eighty-four year old grandmother who's having phone sex with her husband who died in Korea."

"So what the hell is going on here, Dean?" Sam asked.

"Beats me, but we better figure it out soon, this place is turning into Spook Central," Dean replied as he and Apple headed toward the Impala.

"Yeah, I'll call you later."

Dean and Apple opened the car doors, as they were about to get in, Dean's phone ran again. Apple quirked an eyebrow as Dean shrugged and answered it.

"Yeah, what?" He said. "Sam?"

"Dean," said a different voice, yet he knew it all too well. "Dean, is that you?"

"Dad?"

- - - - -

"I mean, dad?" Sam said as he sat down on his bed.

"You really think it was your dad?" Apple asked as she looked at Dean who continued to pace.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Well, what'd he sound like?"

"Like Oprah," Dean said sarcastically. "Dad, he sounded like dad, what do you think?"

Sam turned his gaze on Dean's face. "What'd he say?"

"My name."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, call dropped out," Dean answered.

"Why would he even call in the first place, Dean?" Apple asked. She was so confused, their father was dead. Why and how did he even get through the phone lines? How were any of the deceased able to get through the phone lines?

"Why are people hearing from ghosts everywhere in this town? Other people are hearing from their loved ones, why can't we? It's a least a possibility, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Sam said, unsure.

"Okay, so what... what if it really is dad?" Dean asked as he sat next to Apple. "What if he calls back?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I say?"

"Hello?" Sam suggested.

"Hello?" Dean said incredulously. "Hello? That's what you come back with, 'hello'?" They watched as Dean grabbed his jacket and started to leave. "Hello," he said again as he stared at Sam before he left the room.

- - - - -

"You find anything?" Dean asked as he walked back into the room.

"After three hours of searching, I have found no reason why anything supernatural should be going on here," Sam said. Both he and Apple looked frustrated. They all knew something strange was going on in Milan, Ohio, but none of them could figure out what.

"You should be smarter than that, since you went to college and all," Dean asked as he threw a pamphlet onto the table Sam and Apple were seated at. "You're looking in all the wrong places. The right place is the motel pamphlet rack. Milan, Ohio; Birthplace of Thomas Edison."

"So what?" Apple asked as her and Sam looked the pamphlet over.

"Keep reading," he told them.

Together, Sam and Apple continued to read over the pamphlet. They looked up at Dean in surprise. "You're kidding," they both said.

- - - --

"And we're walking," said the tour guide as she led a good amount of people, which included Sam, Dean, and Apple into another room in the museum. "And here we have one of the museum's most treasured possessions, Thomas Edison's 'spirit phone' Did you know that as well as being one of America's most beloved inventors, he was also a devout occultist?"

The tour guide went on to explain how Edison had been convinced the phone before them, could communicate with the dead. As everyone followed the guide out of the room, Sam pulled out their EMF meter and ran it over the phone, but didn't get any readings.

"What do you think?" Dean asked.

"Honestly? It kinda looks like an old pile of junk to me," Sam answered.

Apple looked the phone over and noticed it wasn't even plugged in; the cord rested on the side of the old telephone. "It's not even plugged in," she stated.

"Maybe it doesn't work like that," Sam suggested.

"Okay. Maybe it's like a radio tower, broadcasting the dead all over town." Dean guessed as he looked at the phone.

Apple shrugged her shoulders. She had no idea if the thing worked or not, it was old and looked like it hadn't been touched in a while. "Well, the number on the caller ID was over a hundred years old right, right around the time this thing was built."

"Yeah, but why would it start working now?"

"I dunno. But as long as the moldy are calling the freshes around here, that's the best reason we got," Dean said.

"Yeah, maybe." Apple said.

"So maybe it really is dad."

- - - - -

Apple laid awake in bed that night. She knew Dean was up, his side of the bed was cold. She could hear his fingers as the drummed lightly on something, where was he? She opened her eyes slightly and saw him seated at the table, phone placed before him. Apple watched him carefully and wondered what he was till doing up. The phone rang and it clicked in Apple's brain. His dad. He had waited on another call from his dad.

"Dad?" She heard Dean whisper.

"Dean."

"Is it really you?"

"It's me."

"How can I be sure?"

"You can't. Dean. How could you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Sell your soul."

"I was looking after Sammy like you told me too."

"I never wanted this. You're my boy. I love you. I can't watch you go to hell, Dean."

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to stop it."

"'Cause if you break the deal, Sam dies, right? Well I know a way out. For both of you."

"How?"

"The demon that holds your contract. He's here. Now."

Apple couldn't be sure of what John had said to his son. But she had a strong feeling it all had to do with Dean's deal. She pretended to sigh in her sleep as Dean finally crawled in bed next to her. Apple turned on her side to face him.

"You alright?" She asked.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine. Your dad call again?" She watched as he nodded his head. "What'd he say?"

"Nothing." Dean lied. Apple sighed, she knew he had lied, she had heard his side of the conversation.

"Alright. Night Dean."

"Night Apple-pie."

- - - - -

The daughter Sam had spoken to early sat in her room, her fingers typed away on her keyboard as she instant messaged her friends. A message popped up from the the number Dean, Sam, and Apple had tracked down, in the form of a screen name; SHA33.

"Lanie, are you there?" It read.

"Mom?" she typed in reply.

"I asked you a question last night. Have you thought about it?"

"I don't know what you want."

"Of course you do. I want to see you."

"I went to see you, at the cemetery."

"That's not what I meant."

"But I'm scared."

"Don't be scared. I'm right here with you."

Lanie's screen had suddenly shut off and she started at her reflection in the black screen. She looked to her right and saw her mother behind her. Her mother rested her hand lightly on Lanie's shoulder and Lanie jumped up and out of her chair. She nearly screamed as the screen turned back on and "Come to me," was written over and over again.

+chapter title: cigarettes and chocolate milk – rufus wainwright


	12. chapter eleven

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Author's Note #2 – I've been working on this story for a while now, and I like to think I update it pretty frequently. This is going to be chapter eleven, probably the longest story I've done. I don't want to bug anyone, but I'd really appreciate some reviews, just so I can get a feel of how everyone thinks I'm doing and what you guys think of the story. I hope you guys are enjoying it. (:

**You're appealing to emotions that I simply do not have**

**Chapter Eleven**

"What's up?" Dean asked as he and Apple watched Sam walk through the motel door.

"That girl, Lanie? Her mom's ghost spooked her pretty bad last night," Sam told the pair.

"That sucks," Dean replied.

Apple quirked a brow at Dean's distracted tone. She sat up slightly on her elbows as she looked at Dean. All the time her and Dean had been in the room, she hadn't once asked him what he was doing.

"Yeah, it does. Sorry Sam. Dean, what're you doing?" She finally asked.

"I think dad's right. I think the demon is here." Dean said as he stood to his feet, he looked at Apple then focused on Sam. He handed Sam a piece of paper. Apple stood to her feet as well and walked toward Sam. She stood beside him and looked at the piece of paper in his hands.

"Weather reports?" She asked.

"Omens, demonic omens, electrical storms. Wherever we've been for the past two weeks."

"I don't remember any lightning storms." Sam said.

"Well I don't remember you studying meteorology as a kid, either." Dean snapped. "Now I'm telling you, this bastard's been tailing me, wearing some poor dude's meat."

"And it's following you because...?" Sam asked, his eyebrow raised.

"I guess I'm big game. My ass is too sweet to let out of sight." Dean grinned as he said this. Apple couldn't help but just smile, Dean was adorable, in all his stubborn, pig-headed ways. She'd never admit that out loud though, he'd probably kill her.

"Okay sure," Sam said, clearly he didn't believe Dean.

"Well don't get too excited Sammy. Might pull something."

"Dean, look man, I want to believe this, I really do," Sam began.

"Then believe it!" He interrupted. "If we get this sucker, it's miller time."

Apple rolled her eyes at the reference. She sat back down on the bed and watched the exchange. There seemed to be so much tangible tension between the brothers lately, Apple hated it; so much. There wasn't anything she could do about it though, she just had to sit back and watch, and occasionally referee. She sat Indian style on the bed, and continued to watch the argument. Truthfully, she didn't know what to believe. Apple mentally shrugged as she shook herself back to the present.

"That's another thing, dad rattles off an exorcism that can kill a demon – not just send it back to hell, kill it?" Sam said incredulously.

"I checked it out. This is heavy-duty dark ages. Fifteenth century." Dean said, as he showed Apple and Sam the stuff he had pulled up about the ritual.

"Yeah I checked on it too, Dean. So did Bobby, and even Apple." As Sam said this, Apple couldn't help but duck her head and pick up the nearest book to her. She really didn't want to be pulled into this. "It definitely is an exorcism but there's just no evidence it can kill a demon."

"No evidence it can't." Dean quickly shot back. "Look as far as I know, the only one of us that's been to hell, is Dad. Think maybe he picked up a couple of tricks down there, like which exorcisms work?"

"Maybe it does," Sam said. "But we just gotta be sure."

"Why aren't we sure?" Dean asked irritably.

"Because we don't know what's going on around here, Dean." Apple said softly. "I mean, a guy blows his brains out, a little girl is scared out of her wits..."

"Wow, a couple of civvies are freaked out by some ghosts! Newsflash, Apple, people are supposed to be freaked out by ghosts." Dean yelled.

Apple sighed as she looked away from Dean and over at Sam. "Did your dad tell you where to find the demon?" She asked, her face tried to hide the pain Dean had caused her from the way he yelled at her. He'd never raised his voice to her, she swallowed the shock and pain down. She knew she had more important things to do then cry in a corner over what had just happened. Not that she would cry over that, she just wouldn't allow that.

"I'm waiting on the call," he said. Dean waved the phone in front of Apple and Sam's faces.

"I told Lanie I'd stop by." Sam said as he turned away.

Dean was pissed. Apple could feel the anger as is it radiated off of him. She bit her lip as she waited. "You're unbelievable!" Dean cried. "We've been trying for months to break this demon deal and now dad's about to give us the friggin address and you can't accept it?" He yelled. "The man's dead and you're still butting heads with the guy."

"That is not what this is about!" Sam said.

"Then what is it?"

"The fact is, we've got no hard proof here, Dean! After everything, you're still just going on blind faith!" Sam yelled back. It seemed as if his resolve was at the edge. He really wanted to just break but he knew he had to be strong and figure out what was going, he had to. Not just for them, but for Lanie, and the other people in town as well.

"Yeah, well maybe that's all I got, okay?" Dean argued back.

"Please, just don't go anywhere until I get back, okay Dean? Please," Sam said.

Apple watched as Dean sat down on the bed, disgruntled and annoyed. His hand was clenched tightly around his phone. She sighed as she tried to make a quick decision between being with Dean, and going with Sam. Finally, she stood up and grabbed her jacket, she patted Dean's knee and smiled slightly.

"Call me if you need anything." She voiced before she followed Sam out of the door. "Where are we going?"

Sam looked surprised that Apple had slid into passenger's seat of his rental car. He had figured she would have stayed with Dean. "Uh, to see Lanie."

- - - - -

"Have you told your father about any of this?" Apple asked as she and Sam sat at the kitchen table of the house Lanie lived in.

"And bother him at work? No," she replied. "He wouldn't believe me anyway, he'd just chuck me into therapy." Sam and Apple exchanged a look before they turned to listen to the girl once more. "My mother wanted to see me, so I went to the cemetery. Nothing happened. So then she started telling me to do other things."

"What things?" Sam asked.

"Bad things."

- - - -

As the grownups talked, Lanie's little brother sat in front of a small table in his room. He drove his toy cars around on the flat service. He plopped himself down beside his toy phone and tilted his head to the side as it rang. He couldn't remember having heard his phone ring before. His little shoulders shrugged as he answered the phone.

"Hey mommy," he said quietly. "I wanna see you. Where are you?"

- - - - -

Dean sat at the table in the motel room. He stared at the phone before him on the table. His mind wandered to the conversation he had had with Apple and Sam. He almost felt bad for having yelled at Apple, but his adrenaline had kicked in from the fight with Sammy and he barely noticed at the time.

Now, as he sat alone, he suddenly missed the brunette girl. He almost wished she were there to talk to him, calm him down like she'd done multiple times before. But she had left him alone, and opted to go with Sam. It was weird being alone in the motel room, he could almost picture Apple as she laid on the their bed and smiled over at him. He smiled at the image in his head. Ugh, he had started to get on his own nerves. Sappy crap and all.

His eyes roamed over the phone once more. He tapped his fingers impatiently as he waited for it to... ring. He picked up the phone and slid it open. "Dad?" he said.

"Dean," John answered.

"Where's the demon?" Dean asked.

- - - - -

"Lanie please, tell us what happened. It's very important." Sam said.

"Mom told me to go to dad's medicine cabinet. And take dad's sleeping pills. Take all of his sleeping pills!" She said as she cried. Apple reached over and wrapped a comforting arm around the girls shoulders.

"She wanted you to kill yourself?" Apple asked gently. Lanie nodded her head.

"Why would my mom want me to do that?"

"I don't know." Sam said quietly as he exchanged a sympathetic look with Apple.

"I mean, just so I could come to her?" Lanie went on.

"What did you say?"

"She wanted me to come to her," Lanie repeated.

"No, no, no, like how did she say it?" Sam asked, his mind raced as he waited for the young girl's answer.

"Come to me. Like a million times!"

"Lanie, that's not your mother." Sam said suddenly.

- - - - -

Dean surveyed the house his dad had sent him, he double checked the address before he pulled into the driveway. He looked at the house for a second before he took a breath to steady himself. Dean knew Sam had told him wait, but since when had Dean ever listened to his younger brother?

He opened the door to the Impala and slid out of the driver's seat. He unlocked the trunk and grabbed his bag.

- - - - -

"Listen to me, don't answer the phone, don't use the computer, don't do anything unless we say to, alright?" Sam ordered. "Lanie!" he said, as he noticed she hadn't paid him any attention.

"Where's Simon?" She asked.

Apple and Sam looked at each other as they began to search the room. Apple separated from him and went to check the ground level of the house.

- - - - -

Dean skillfully picked the lock on the front door on the house like had done on multiple occasions. He carefully pushed the door open and looked around before he quietly entered the two story house.

He made his way into the living room before he heard a creak on the stairs. "Hello?" he called out. He didn't hear anything in reply so he continued to the living room, ready to carry out his plan.

- - - -

Simon wasn't sure where he was headed to. He just remembered his mom had told him to try to get to the cemetery. When he had asked about his sister, his mom had told him Lanie would meet him there later on. Simon shrugged his little shoulders as he made his way down the stairs and out of the house.

The boy knew he wasn't allowed to leave the house without his daddy, or Lanie, he wasn't allowed to cross the street by himself. He knew all that. But his mama had told him it was alright this time, that she watched over him the whole time.

His feet carried him to a busy intersection. He barely took note of the traffic, his one tracked mind was just interested in being able to see his mom again. He took a step off the curb.

(chapter title: it's hard to say 'I do' when I don't – fall out boy)


	13. chapter twelve

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

**To here, the days pile up**

**Chapter Twelve**

Dean pushed at the couch as he moved it from the center of the room. He scooted the rest of the furniture away and made sure there was enough room for the symbol he was about to spray paint on the floor. He looked over the room once more before he knelt down.

He popped the top off of the can and began to spray the symbol on the hardwood floor. It didn't take him long before he stood up and admired his handiwork. Damn, he was good.

- - - - -

Lanie's little brother, Simon, began his trek through the traffic. He didn't notice as a yellow refrigerator truck came straight for him. The driver started to rummage through his glove box as he looked for another CD. He looked up just in time to see the little boy in the road. He nearly slammed on his breaks before an older man ran behind the boy and scooped him up.

Sam put Simon down on the sidewalk. The group of four made their way back to Lanie's house. Simon told them about the call that he had received from his mother.

- - - - -

"Dean, it's not your dad!" Apple said as she sat in the passenger seat of Sam's rental car.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"A Crocotta."

"Is that a sandwich?"

Sam watched as Apple rolled her blue eyes at, what he assumed, was a stupid comment his older brother had made. "Some kind of scavenger, mimics loved ones, whispers 'come to me' and lures you into the darkness and swallows your soul." Apple repeated as she remembered what Sam had told her. He smiled over at her slightly before he turned his attention back to the road.

"A Crocotta, yea, that makes sense." She heard Dean say.

"Look Dean, I'm sorry, I know..." Apple began. She felt bad for having left him like she did, she should have stayed and talked to him, but after he yelled at her like he did, she wasn't sure she wanted to stick around. Her decision to leave with Sam gave her time to clear her mind and get a better perspective on the argument the boys and herself had had.

Dean cut her off and started to speak. She looked at the phone in wonder at his next statement. The boy was just full of surprises. "Hey don't those things live in filth? The flies, at the phone company."

- - - - -

Sam and Apple walked into the building and found their way to the room that they had last talked to Stewie in. They watched for a minute before Sam slid up behind Stewie and pulled him out of his chair. Apple followed closely behind as Sam led Stewie out to the rental car. Apple slipped off the side to call Dean and tell him where the pair were.

She watched as Sam slammed Stewie up against his car, and pressed a knife to his throat. "We know what you are," he said. "And we know how to kill you."

Stewie pleaded with the woman, and the man. He told them he could help them with phone stuff, and at this Sam hesitated. Seconds later, both Apple and Sam felt an intense pain and collapsed to the concrete.

"Yeah, that's what happens when you mess with the phone company, dillweeds!" Stewie said with a grin. "Thank you, Clark." He looked at his boss but the grin was quickly erased from his face as he also collapsed to the ground.

- - - - -

Apple was the last to wake up, she was confused and her head hurt like a bitch. She went to rub at her sore head but quickly realized her hands were bound behind her and she was tied to chair. What the hell? She looked at Sam and then Stewie. What had happened?

"There's a good man inside of you, I know." She heard Stewie tell Clark.

"What is inside me?" Clark said as he looked at Sam and Apple. "Am I a good man?" He asked.

"Just let him go," Sam said.

"I would, I really would, if only I'd had more than a salad for lunch," Clark started. "I'm starving." He stabbed Stewie in the heart and opened his mouth wide. He revealed long, sharp teeth that he immediately used to siphon Stewie's soul through his mouth.

"That last call with Dean," Apple said. The reality of what had happened washed over her. It hadn't been Dean at all, it had been the Crocotta. He had sounded so much like Dean. "You lured us here."

"Some calls I make, some calls I take... but you have to admit, I had you both fooled for a while," he said with a smile. "All that Edison phone crap. Oh well." A pair of blue eyes and a pair of brown eyes watched as he walked over to a generator and placed a hand to it.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"I'm killing your brother," he said as he looked at Sam. "Or your precious little boyfriend," he added as he smirked at Apple. "Or maybe I'm killing another guy. We'll just have to see how it goes."

- - - - -

A man had just finished getting ready to go home when his phone rang. He stared at it for a second before he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hi daddy," said a little girl's voice.

"Hey baby," he said softly. "I thought you said you weren't gonna call anymore?"

"I know, daddy."

"You know how sad this makes daddy. How sad I was at your funeral," he went on, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I had to call," she said. "I know who killed me, daddy."

"What?"

"The man who killed me? He's at the house right now," she explained. "He's at the house, daddy. He wants to kill you, too!"

- - - - -

"You know, mimicking Dean is one thing. But my dad... that's a hell of a trick," Sam said to the Crocoatta.

"Once I made you three as hunters, especially the Winchesters, it was easy. Found Dean's number. Then your number and Apple's. Then your father's numbers, and emails, voice mails. Everything. You see people think that stuff just gets erased... but it doesn't."

As the Cocotta continued to ramble on, Apple glimpsed Sam out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to listen as the monster spoke, but she noticed his hands quickly moved behind his back. She caught a glimpse of silver and realized he had worked to cut the ropes off that bound his hands.

"You'd be surprised how much of yourself is just floating out there, waiting to be plucked." The Crocotta went on.

"Dean's not gonna fall for this. He's not gonna kill that guy." Apple argued as she tried to get the attention on herself and off of Sam.

"Then the guy kills him," the monster said with ease.

- - - - -

Dean crouched into the darkness as he noticed a set of headlights as they shined in through the windows. He grabbed a bottle of holy water and quickly opened it. He prepared to splash the blessed water on the demon to get him down. He heard footsteps and mentally prepared himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, he realized something wasn't right. He looked up and saw the demon with a shotgun in his hands. Dean rolled out of the way and lost the holy water in the process.

"Son of a bitch," he hissed. He quickly charged the man. Each man was able to throw a few punches here and there. Eventually Dean had the man pinned beneath him, he punched him the face.

- - - - -

"Technology, makes life so much easier."

Apple gritted her teeth. The fucking monster, she hoped, had nearly finished his monologue. It had started to get extremely old after the first few sentences. She prayed that Sam was almost finished with his ropes.

"It used to be I'd hide in the woods for days, weeks, whispering to people, trying to draw them out into the night. But they had community. They look out for each other. I'd be lucky to eat on, two souls a year. But now when I'm hungry, I simply make a phone call. You're all so connected.. but you've never been so alone."

Then the monster did something Apple hadn't quite expected. She thought after his little speech, he'd go for Sam. That's what he had led on anyway, his eyes had been on Sam almost the whole time. But no, he opened his large mouth and revealed his nasty teeth once more, he took a few steps and stood directly in front of Apple. She leaned back as far as she could, away from the man. His breath smelled so rancid.

"Sam!" Apple shouted as the man's mouth neared her own. "God! Give him a fucking tic-tac." The Crocotta roared as he lowered his mouth directly in front of Apple's. "Sam!"

As Apple cried out Sam's name for the last time, he was out of the chair and on top of the Crocotta. He tossed Apple the knife as he and the monster began to go at it.

- - - - -

The man continued to fight with Dean. Neither were about to give up. Dean kicked the man in the ribs before his stood to his feet. He managed to get the man's gun and unloaded it. He pulled the man into the red symbol he had painted earlier.

"What is this?" The man asked, a mix of confusion and rage in his voice.

"Your funeral." Dean said as he began the exorcism.

"Did you do this to my daughter, too?" The man continued as he stepped out of the circle.

Dean watched in shock. How did he do that? "How did you get out?" He voiced.

"You did this to her too?" The man yelled.

"Wait, this is a mistake." Dean began.

"You killed her," the man said and once again attacked Dean.

- - - - -

Apple had finally released herself from the chair she had been bound to and fought along side Sam. Apple and Sam both noticed a spike that stuck out from the wall and both knew what they had to do.

They managed to slam his head against the spike, it instantly killed him. Apple crossed back to the chair and sat down, she stared at the dead Crocotta. Sam kneeled in front of her and glanced up at her.

"You alright?"

Apple nodded. "This, being with you and Dean, fighting what we fight. It's just more intense that anything I ever fought with my family. Werewolves, the occasional possession, and maybe a vampire's nest or two. Nothing like this."

"Come on." Sam encouraged. He pulled her up lightly from the chair and wrapped his arm around her in a half hug as they made their way to the car.

- - - - -

"She was nine years old!" The man hollered as he punched Dean on the jaw.

"I didn't – you gotta believe me!" Dean said as he managed to get the guy off of him.

"Why did you kill her?" The man asked.

"I'm sorry. I didn't kill your daughter."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I don't know." Dean said sadly.

- - - - -

All any of the trio wanted to do was collapse on their beds and pass out, but they knew they still had things to discuss. Apple rubbed gently at a bruise she had gained on her jaw, and then rubbed lightly at one she had received on her side. She joined Sam and Dean in the bathroom as they cleaned themselves up.

"I see they improved your face," Dean said to Sam.

"Right back atcha," Sam replied.

"So a Crocotta, huh," Dean said. "That would explain the flies."

"Yeah, it would." Apple said as she and Dean sat on their bed, while Sam sat on his.

"Hey, um, I'm sorry it wasn't dad," Sam whispered.

"No, I gave you a hell of a time on this one. Both of you."

"Ahhh, no." Sam disagreed.

"You were right," Dean said.

"Forget about it."

"I can't." He replied. "I wanted to believe so badly there was a way out of this. I mean, I'm staring down the barrel of this thing. You know, hell. For real, forever. And I'm just... I'm scared. I'm really scared."

Apple felt her heart break. She hadn't forgotten about Dean's deal, she couldn't stop her thoughts as they wandered to that. She hadn't heard him speak as he spoke then. It scared her and shook her to her core. She didn't want to lose Dean. She knew Sam didn't either. Neither of them could bear that.

"I know." Sam replied.

"I guess I was ready to believe anything. The last act of a desperate man..." Dean went on.

"There's nothing wrong with having hope, Dean." Apple said gently from his side. She placed a hand lightly on his leg as her blue eyes stared into his green ones.

He jumped slightly at the contact. His skin burned, he hadn't felt that in a while. It scared him slightly. She must have noticed the small jump because her had was gone, and all Dean could think was that he wanted it back. It made him feel warm, and for so long all he felt was cold, he needed that warmth, he craved that warmth. He mentally shook his head as he stopped his train of thought. He turned to look at Apple and slipped on that tough facade he so often wore.

"Hope doesn't get you jack squat." He said as he looked over at Sam. He couldn't stand to look at Apple for longer than he had to. It hurt too much. Apple and Sammy were all he had left, he didn't want to think about not being able to see either of them ever again. "I can't expect dad to show up with some miracle at the last minute. I can't expect anyone to, you know. The only person who can get me out of this thing is me."

"And us." Sam said.

"And us?" Dean repeated as he stared at Sam.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Deep revelation, I"m having a real moment here and that's what you come back with? And us?"

"Do you want a poem?" Sam asked.

Apple laughed at the scene that played before her. They were so just, there were no words to describe the pair. "Moment's gone." Dean said as he leaned back and rested his back on the head board of his bed.

He looked at Apple for a moment, she stared back at him before she slid next to him. Their arms touched and Dean figured that the warmth from that simple contact would be all he could get. He shook his head. "Unbelievable." He muttered.

Apple once again laughed as both boys opened their beers at the same time.

-chapter title: happy birthday to me (feb. 15) – bright eyes


	14. chapter thirteen

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

Author's Note #2 – So, this is the second to shortest chapter I've written, and it doesn't really have much to do with the episodes but focuses more on a relationship. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

**Wanna feel your warmth upon me**

**Chapter Thirteen**

It seemed like Apple had just fallen into a rather dreamless sleep when she was roughly brought out of it. She turned onto her side as Dean elbowed her in the ribs. "What the hell?" she whispered. She propped herself up on her elbow and cupped her chin in her hand, she watched as Dean moved around in his sleep. She wondered what was going on in his dream, it didn't seem to be that pleasant.

She lifted herself into a sitting position and looked down at him, his face twisted in discomfort. She began to sing softly to the man beside her. "A beautiful and blinding morning, the world outside begins to breathe. See clouds arriving outside without warning, I need you here to shelter me." Her voice was barely above a whisper, fingers trailed slightly over Dean's day old stubble. She continued to sing softly as she watched him calm down. "And I know that only time will tell us how to carry on without each other."

His face looked serene now as she continued to trail her fingers over his face, she watched mesmerized as the frown lines his nightmare had given him, smoothed out. After he had remained still for a few minutes, she decided it was probably safe to go back to sleep. She started to move her hand off of his face when she felt strong fingers grip her wrist and hold her fingers in place.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice gruff from disuse.

"I think you were having a nightmare, I only wanted to calm you down," she explained. "What were you dreaming about?" She pulled her hand lightly against his grip, she was able to get it off of his face. Her hand hung in midair, his fingers still wrapped around it lightly.

"Nothing." He lied, his eyes not able to meet her strong gaze. Dean looked at her hand as he gently placed it back on his face. Her fingers immediately began to stroke his chin, then down his jawbone.

Apple felt like this shouldn't have been happening, she should have never woken up, she should have just stayed asleep. They locked gazes and all thoughts were erased from Apple's mind. She couldn't do anything but stare into his deep green eyes. There was so much there, so much Apple didn't, and couldn't even begin to understand.

A warm hand caressed her face, and she smiled slightly. Everything in both of their minds screamed at them to stop, to go back to sleep, to forget anything had ever gone on between them. They both knew nothing good would come from it, it would only end in pain, and tears; on Apple's part anyway.

She brought Dean's other hand to the side of her face, she ignored her mind as it screamed 'no' over and over again. He held her fragile face between his strong hands. Apple soaked in all the warmth his rough, calloused hands let off, it felt so good being held like this. She wasn't sure what would come of it in the morning, but at this point, she didn't care. One night would be more than enough for her. For all she knew, it was dream, even though it sure as hell didn't feel like it.

His hands lowered her face to his, and she could feel his breath as it tickled her pale lips. His lips lightly ran from her lips, to her jawbone, to her cheeks and finally landed back at her lips. Oh she was so tired of the way he teased her; she pressed her lips to his and felt something so real, and unbelievably foreign to her, love. Apple felt like she could breathe for the first time, and Dean felt a small feeling of hope rise up in his chest. Both were rocked to their core, though neither of them would admit it to the other.

Neither of them could get enough of each other, and before she realized it, Apple had straddled Dean, her wavy brunette hair surrounding them like a cover. They locked eyes again and delved into explore once more.

After a few minutes Apple crawled off of Dean and laid beside him. It wasn't like she would let anything happen between them, she was stronger than that; even though every ounce of her wanted to just completely let go and have at Dean. She couldn't do that, for one, she was a virgin and she was sure it would just be meaningless sex to Dean, even though their kisses held much more than that. She didn't expect Dean to actually feel what she felt. Two, Sam was in the bed across from them, it would just be plain awkward.

With a resigned sigh, Apple laid on her side. A few moments later she felt Dean relax beside her, and a warm arm made it's way around her waist. Apple felt Dean rest his head next to hers and she turned in his grip to face him.

"What was that?" She asked softly. Apple hadn't wanted to ask, but she knew she had to. Her curiosity would eat at her and she'd never be able to rest.

Dean wasn't sure what to say. It was an impulse, yet it had been something he had wanted to do for a long time. He couldn't be completely honest with her, he just couldn't do that. His eyes roamed over her face as he stalled, he wanted to think of the right thing to say. But it seemed like everything he thought sounded right, wasn't. His green eyes looked into her blue ones and he stared for a few minutes before he whispered his answer. "'Cause I wanted to."

Apple didn't know what to think of his answer. 'Cause he wanted to? What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Apple sighed as Dean placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Night Apple-pie."

- - - - -

Sam didn't know what the hell was going on between Apple and Dean but it had started to piss him off. If they both weren't oddly quiet, they were down each other's throats. They argued, bitched, and moaned about this and that. Sam was ready to slap the shit out of both of them.

Something had happened, something that Sam sure as hell was ready to find out about. One way or the other he was going to find out. He knew Dean would never tell him, but Apple, he could get the information out of.

"What Sam? Why did I have to come get this room with you?" She asked as Sam had practically pulled her out of the backseat of the Impala and out onto the sidewalk.

"What the hell is going on between you and Dean? You two were never like this before." Sam asked as they walked toward the motel's main office.

Apple shrugged as she kicked a loose stone from her path. "I dunno."

"Bull! Just tell me Apple. Maybe I can help fix it."

"I don't think you can," she muttered. She sighed as Sam fixed her with a stern look. "Fine. We kissed okay? And I don't know why but since then, we haven't been able to get along."

"I should've known." Sam ran a hand through his long hair and grinned, a plan already formed in his head.

- - - - -

"Never trust a Sam Winchester grin." Apple muttered as she sat on the edge of the tub in the bathroom Dean and herself were locked in.

"Yeah. Obviously." Dean said as he closed the lid on the toilet and sat down.

"I'm going to kill him."

"You and me both. Why are we even in here?" Dean asked.

"BecauseItoldhimwhathappenedbetweenus," Apple said. It was too fast for Dean and all he could do was shake his head.

"You wanna slow that down just a little bit? Couldn't understand a damn word."

Apple sighed as she looked at him, a small glare in her eyes. "Because I told him what happened between us," she said. She drew out every syllable so she could be sure he understood her.

"Ha ha. Very funny." Dean made a face as he realized what she had said. "You told Sam? No wonder we're locked in here."

"So what do we do?" Apple asked as she rested her head in her hands.

"Talk?"

"Since when do you, Dean Winchester, want to talk about anything?"

"You want out of this bathroom?"

"Point taken. Fine. Talk."

Dean stayed silent as he watched Apple, watch him. They had gotten so much talking done, really. Apple tapped her fingers on the side of the tub as she waited. Dean stared straight ahead, no expression on his face.

Apple was torn between her desire to strangle the man before her, or to kiss him till neither of them could breathe. She could see either option being perfectly alright for her. Dean didn't know what to do either. He was okay with either her pressed against the wall or knocked out on the floor. Not that he'd ever actually hurt her.

"Dean, I can't do this with you anymore. I can't."

He nodded his head in agreement. The tension in the bathroom had started to smother him, he thought he was going to die from it.

"Son of a bitch!" He said as he stood up and stood in front of Apple. His hands gently grabbed her wrists and pulled her to her feet.

"What are you doing?" Apple asked as he brought his face close to hers. "Dean, I don't think so." She said as he put her hand up and denied him access. She backed herself up against the tub, and prayed she wouldn't tumble in.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because? That's not an answer Apple."

"So?"

"So? You can't just say 'because' and 'so' and expect it to make everything stop."

"Can if I want to."

"What are you, five?" He asked. Even though he knew he should have been pissed off at the way she dodged him, he couldn't help but find it more amusing than anything. "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything," she argued. Her blue eyes turned a shade darker as she glared once more at the older man.

"Are too."

"Are not." Apple took one more step backward and felt the back of her legs hit the rim of the tub. She would have fallen in if Dean hadn't swooped in so heroically and wrapped his arms around her waist, immediately putting a stop to her potential fall.

"Are too," he whispered as his lips brushed over the flesh that covered her neck.

"Are not." But she knew it pointless to argue anymore. He won, and he knew it. Apple sighed as she looked into the green eyes that stared deep into her blue ones.

Dean gave a cocky kind of grin before he connected his lips with hers. They kissed as if they were attempting to suck the very life out of each other.

"Hey! You two finished in there?" Sam called as he knocked on the door, his voice muffled slightly.

Dean kissed her lips once more before he answered Sam. "Yeah. Can we get out now? I'm hungry."

(chapter title: i will remember you – sarah mclachlan. song used in actual chapter: what hurts the most - rascal flatts)


	15. chapter fourteen

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

Author's Note #2 – I didn't really want to split 'Time Is On My Side' into different chapters, I basically wanted to get it over with. The dialogue doesn't exactly match that of the episode, so it's kind of freehanded. Hope you enjoy it anyway.

**I think we have an emergency**

**Chapter Fourteen**

Two men walked out into the warm night, rackets and bags with changes of clothes, in their arms. They waved goodbye and separated. One of the men watched for a minute as his friend loaded his things in his trunk and got in his car. He waved one last time before he watched his friend leave.

The man sighed as he opened his trunk and threw his own things in. He looked around, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. He shrugged and looked back at his trunk. A sharp pain clouded his senses and his world went black.

- - - - -

He couldn't remember how he had gotten here. He only thought of how his body screamed with each step he took, and each breath he drew. He needed help. His coat was pulled around him as tight as he could manage, but even as he held the coat closed, it hurt. He wished the pain would stop. His feet wouldn't go any farther no matter how much he willed them to carry on. He stood near the nurses station and prayed the pain would go away. He could feel the blood as it stained his coat.

The nurse approached the man and asked him to let her take a look. "It's nothing I haven't seen before," she said gently as she finally reached the man. Carefully, she pried his hands from his coat and screamed at the sight before her.

- - - - -

"Just tell us who the demon is!" Sam said as he splashed more holy water on the demon.

Apple sat on the ground, she watched as the two brothers tried to torture the information out of the demon. Nothing they did to the man had made any difference; he hadn't given them anything. She looked at Dean and sensed just how pissed the demon had made him.

"I'd rather go to hell than rat on the demon that has your ticket." The demon hissed at Dean.

"Finish it Sammy."

Sam nodded as he watched Dean sit beside Apple. The pair looked on as Sam exercised the demon.

- - - - -

Apple and Dean walked into the motel room they shared with Sam. They laid the bag of donuts on the table and Apple handed Sam a cup of coffee. He smiled at her and took it, she handed Dean his, and then took a sip of her own.

"Who were you talking to Sam?" Apple asked. Things had gotten much better with the trio, though Apple's feelings for Dean were as complicated as ever. She enjoyed the private moments she shared with him, the stolen kisses here and there. She had no idea what any of it meant, but who was she to deny Dean anything? Well... _that_ she could deny, and would continue to deny. Thank you very much, perverts.

"Remember that thing in the paper yesterday?" Sam asked.

"Stripper suffocates dude with thighs?" Apple hit Dean's shoulder at his comment while Sam just huffed.

"No, the other thing. About the gutted man at the hospital?" Sam reminded them. Apple nodded her head and looked at him to continue. "Apparently the man had his liver cut out. Not only that, but his body was covered in fingerprints that matched a man who died in 1981," he finished with a slight grin.

"Are you thinking it's a zombie?" Apple asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Why are you so interested in this, seeing as it's only three weeks until my deal is up? You two are usually more interested in saving me." Dean pointed out.

"Just figured. It's a zombie, man. How often do we get to hunt those?"

Dean shrugged. He wasn't sure he quite believed Sam's excuse. Sam was up to something, Dean was sure, he just didn't know what.

- - - - -

Apple adjusted the jacket around her as she waited for Sam and Dean to get back to the car. She turned the radio dial and smiled as Fall Out Boy sounded through the Impala's speakers. She knew Dean would kill her for playing 'that new age shit' in his 'baby', but Dean wasn't in the Impala, therefore the voice that continually told her 'no'; that sounded suspiciously like Dean, could shut the hell up.

She drummed her fingers on the front seat of the Impala as she waited for her boys. The image of Sam and Dean in suits as they posed as cops never left her mind, it continued to replay in her head. She could never get used to that.

Finally, Apple changed the radio station and sat back against the backseat. She laughed to herself as Metallica flooded the car. Dean would never even know of the abomination that had defiled his baby's speakers.

"So what'd the coroner say?" She asked as the boys slid into the car.

"The liver wasn't ripped out. She said it had been surgically removed. The new evidence punches a hole in the whole zombie theory. Unless the walking dead have some new skills." Sam explained as he buckled his seatbelt.

Dean started the car and laughed. "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Zombie."

"Nice." Apple said quietly. "What else?"

"It might be some kind of organ thief. We should look for survivors."

- - - - -

Apple and Sam stood in a room at a local hospital, the two of them had once again posed as cops. They looked down at a man who had been attacked and had had one of his kidneys removed.

"I don't really wanna talk about it," the man informed the 'officers' as he looked away from them. He sighed as he finally convinced himself to just tell them what had happened and get it over with; he had a feeling they wouldn't leave him alone till he did. "I was jumped from behind... and then I found myself strapped to a table."

"What happened next?" Apple asked gently.

"I blacked out. Then I woke up screaming in a motel... with one less kidney."

- - - - -

Apple watched Dean from the corner of her eye, he was such a pig. They way he ate his burger almost made her never want to eat meat... again. He took another bite of his burger before he put it on a napkin and took a drink of his soda. He grinned at Apple as she watched him. She could only smile at him weakly.

"I have an idea." Sam said suddenly as he looked up from his laptop. "The victims were sewn up with silk which used to be used in the early nineteenth century by doctors. The problem was it caused infections, so the doctors back then used maggots to get rid of them. Apparently the man whose liver was removed had his body cavity filled with maggots."

"Okay, dude. Eating. Not the best time to be talking about that kind of stuff." Dean grumbled before he went back to his burger.

"Right." Apple muttered as she watched him continue to eat, despite the words he had said. Nothing seemed to deter the man's appetite. "Because that gross bit of information phased you so much."

Dean only took a big bite of his burger and grinned... again. "You know, that sounds familiar though. Like, the story."

"Yeah." Sam muttered before he went back to his laptop. He paused a moment before he pulled out their dad's journal. "How could I have forgotten? It sounds familiar because we've heard it before, Dean."

Apple quirked an eyebrow as she looked from Sam to Dean. Dean nodded for Sam to continue.

"It's a story about Doc Benton from New Hampshire. He was a doctor obsessed with alchemy and immortality. He found the secret to living forever, but it came with a price. As his organs and body parts wore out, he had to replace them. He had to kill people in order to do that though."

"I thought dad killed him." Dean said. He finished off his burger and wiped his hands clean on his jeans.

"He did. He caught Benton and removed his heart, but somehow the doc must have gotten a new heart and started all over again. He likes to hold up in forests with access to a river or stream where he dumps the bile, and intestines, etc."

"Gross." Apple felt throughly nauseated. She closed her eyes and waited for the nausea to pass.

"You alright Apple-pie?" Dean asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Just feeling a little sick is all. How can a guy do that? I mean, why would he want to live forever but kill people in the process?"

The boys shrugged their shoulders. "So you think this is what's going on?" Dean asked Sam.

"Yeah, it seems to be the best fit."

- - - - -

The man breathed deeply as he paused from his jog. His lungs burned as he took in more air. He lifted his arms above his head and attempted to stretch and get more oxygen. He studied his heart monitor for a second, everything seemed to be alright there.

He looked back out into the night and sighed. Just as he was about to pick up his jog, a strange smell filled his nostrils and everything went black.

He woke up in pain. He didn't know what was going on, but he could still hear his heart monitor. He wanted to scream as a man appeared before him, his face was stitched up in different areas, he was the most grotesque thing the man had ever seen. He didn't know what was going on, but to say he was afraid couldn't describe it. He was terrified. A sharp pain erupted in his side and he looked down to the see the sutured man cut deeply near his ribs.

Loud cracks filled the room as the hideous man cracked his ribs. He thought he heard someone scream, had that been him? Had he really screamed like that? Before he could understand what had happened to him, the man let out another scream and everything faded away. The heart monitor had stopped beating and the world was completely silent.

- - - - -

Apple looked over Sam's shoulder at a map. They believed they had finally found Benton's lair when Dean's phone ran. He slid the phone open and said 'hello'.

"I think I finally found out where Bela is," Bobby told Dean. "She's been visiting a fellow hunter named Rufus Turner, she's been trying to buy some things."

"She's being sloppy." Apple and Sam heard Dean say in reply.

"Take a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue with you if you're going to visit Rufus." With that, Bobby hung up. Dean gathered his jacket and car keys and turned to look at Sam.

"It's pointless going after Bela, she probably sold the Colt months ago." Sam said as he watched his brother .

"Then I'll kill her. Win/win."

"Dean, you should just stay on the Benton case. If we can found out how he became immortal, maybe we can use it to save you. If you can't die, you can't go to hell."

"No, Sam. Our best shot is to just shoot the demon who holds my contract and my slate is wiped clean. Come on, you and Apple come with me to find Bella."

"No, Dean." Sam said. He looked over Apple who looked torn between the two brothers. She didn't know what to do. "I'm sticking around to find Benton," he finished with a firm nod.

"Apple?" Dean asked. Apple had thought his green eyes pleaded with her, but the look was gone before she could be sure.

"Dean, I told you I was going to do everything I could to save you. I'm staying with Sam."

Dean nodded his head and told them both to be careful. He looked at Sam for a moment, and Sam nodded his head. Apple wanted to scratch her head, what was that about?

"Dean?" Apple said before he walked out of the door. "Take care of yourself," she said quietly and then he was gone.

- - - - -

Dean walked up the porch and rang the bell. He looked around for a minute, he wanted to get a feel for the area around him. Nothing seemed weird about it, but he supposed appearances could be deceiving, better safe than sorry.

"Who is it?" A voice asked over an intercom. To Dean, the man seemed kind of grumpy, who had Bobby sent him to?

"Dean. I'm looking for Bela Talbot." He informed the man. The man didn't want to hear it, he refused to tell him anything, or even let him in. Finally, with a small grin, Dean offered up the bottle of whiskey. The man finally opened the door and let him in.

"Bela wanted to buy some things off of me." Rufus told Dean as they drank the whiskey Dean had provided. "Why are you after Bela when you only have a few weeks to live? There are no happy endings for hunters like us."

- - - - -

Sam and Apple had finally decided which wooded area to check out. Sam stopped the car and put it in park. "You think this is right?" He asked Apple.

"I honestly don't know Sam. But from the information you gave me, it looks like it'll be our best bet." Apple checked the map once more before she folded it up and put it in the glove compartment of the rental Jeep.

"Ready?"

"Yeah." Apple and Sam stepped out of the car and began to walk down the trail. She had a bad feeling about this.

- - - - -

"Bela's staying at the Hotel Canaan. Room thirty-nine. You better watch your back." Rufus said to Dean as he poured them another glass of whiskey.

"I can handle her."

"Don't be so sure, there are things you don't know about Bela."

"I think you've checked out Bela's fingerprints for info."

Rufus nodded his head. "Yeah, I have. But it didn't work. Had to do her ear."

Dean couldn't help but grin after the words had left Rufus' mouth. "I'll try anything once, but I don't know. That sounds uncomfortable."

"I had to use pictures and match them to her ears. Ears are just as traceable as fingerprints." He tossed Dean a folder with Bela's information in it.

Dean caught the folder and frowned as he reviewed what was inside.

- - - - -

Apple was uncomfortable with just how dark it was inside the cabin. She shined her flashlight around the room and followed its path. Sam picked up an old looking journal and put it into his bag. He nodded for Apple to walk on.

They found their way to the basement, it was even darker down there and Apple felt a shiver run up her spine. She definitely did not like the vibes the place had put off. She nearly screamed as she stumbled into the body of a man. Apple pulled herself together and studied him. His heart had been removed, and his ribs cracked. She wondered if Benton had used anything to numb the pain the man must have felt. Probably not.

She found her way to Sam who looked over the body of a woman about their age. He moved the light up her arm and Apple had to look away. Maggots crawled along the woman's arm where the skin had been removed. Sam reached over and grabbed a towel, he carefully wrapped it around the raw limb and was about to help the girl up when he noticed Apple had shook her head 'no', and pointed up toward the ceiling.

They listened as Benton moved around upstairs. Apple shuddered at the thought of actually being face to face with the man. She put a hand over the woman's mouth as she attempted to stifle her scream.

Sam and Apple scrambled to get out of the basement. He managed to crawl out of the basement window first. He held his hand out for Apple to help the woman out. Sam pulled the woman up and out of the window , then held out a hand for Apple.

As they ran through the woods, Sam held tightly to the girl. Apple managed to run ahead and unlock the doors to the Jeep. She opened the back door and slid into the driver's seat. She watched as Sam put the girl in the backseat, and threw himself into the passenger's seat.

Apple had just thrown the car into reverse when the glass shattered from her window and she let out a small yelp. Her head connected with the steering wheel and she pressed as hard as she could on the gas, her head throbbed in the process. "Shit!" She shouted as she and Sam turned to look at Benton through the window. He was laid out flat from the hit he had received.

"Apple? You okay?"

"Oh yeah. Fantastic." Apple held her head with one hand. God it hurt, it felt like a migraine more than anything. She knew she would have a bruise or two to remember the hideous doctor by.

- - - - -

"Where's the Colt?" Dean asked as he stared Bela down. "Don't move." He said as he started to search the room. He caught a movement in his peripheral vision, and shot a hole in the door near Bela's head.

He kicked the dresser in Bela's room as he realized the Colt was gone. He pointed his gun at her. "I'm going to kill you," he said, his green eyes bored into her own. He was pissed. "I can't imagine killing my parents like you did. You were what? Fourteen when they had a car accident – the police suspected a slashed break line but could never prove it. Little Bela, I mean Abby, inherited millions."

Bela just stared at Dean. Her eyes focused on him, but her mind was millions of miles away. She remembered she had been fourteen, and scared as her dad entered her room. She hated her father, and the things he did. She pulled herself out of her memory and into the present.

"I killed them." Bela said simply. She wouldn't say more than that, she'd never say more than that.

Dean knew there was more to the story. There had to be, and as much as he wanted to kill her, he didn't have the heart; and he wouldn't live the rest of his days with that guilt. He looked around the room and noticed a root placed above her motel door. "You know what? You aren't worth it," he said before he turned and left the room.

- - - - -

Bela sat down as she unfolded the piece of paper she'd taken from Dean's pocket. She dialed a number on her phone. "It worked, he found me. No, Sam wasn't with him, but I know where they are..."

- - - - -

Sam dabbed at the cut on Apple's forehead. She hissed as the alcohol invaded the wound. "There. Finished." Sam said as he tossed the cotton ball into the trash.

Apple drew her knees up to her chest as she flipped through the book Sam had stolen from Benton's cabin. She raised an eyebrow as Sam's phone went off. He mouthed the word 'Dean' to her before he answered the call. He put the phone on speaker and placed it next to them.

"I didn't get the Colt, and I didn't kill Bela. I'm really screwed now." Dean said.

Apple shook her head. "Maybe not."

"We got Benton's lab book and it looks like his formula might work. There's no magic involved – it's pure science."

Before either Sam or Apple could say more, they were grabbed from behind and all Dean could hear was silence from their end.

"Sammy. Apple," he tried, but there was no answer from their end.

- - - - -

Apple's head hurt, again. She was so sick of her head being in some form of pain. She tried to blink her eyes but realized she couldn't. Her eyes roamed around and spotted Sam not far from her, tied to a chair. She tired to call out to him but found that she couldn't do that either, the bastard doctor had gagged her mouth.

Her eyes pleaded with Sam to help her but he couldn't move anymore than she could. They were so screwed this time. So screwed.

"I know who you both are." She heard a voice say. She groaned as she met Doc Benton's gaze. "I don't do things I don't have to. But now, I need new eyes." He looked over at Sam. "I know it was your father who cut out my heart. I realize I could take your eyes instead, but why do that when taking them from your little friend would hurt you so much more?"

He lowered his instrument to Apple's blue eyes, they watered as she waited for the pain. Instead of pain, a loud noise invaded Apple's ears and she realized the sound was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. Gunshots. Dean stood before the doctor, gun aimed at his chest, but the doctor simply tossed Dean across the room. He was amused by the brother's choice in hurting him, seeing a it hadn't affected him at all.

Dean quickly stood up and threw himself at Benton, he plunged a knife into Benton's chest. Again, Benton was amused. A stunned look crossed the doctor's face as he realized the knife had been dipped in chloroform. Though the doctor was immortal, he was still susceptible to it.

Apple struggled against the bonds that held her as her blue eyes looked at it Dean. He walked to her and carefully removed the tape from her eyelids. Apple tried to bite back a whimper as he did so, it had hurt so bad. He lifted her head and untied the gag from around her head. He undid the buckles that restrained her and she sat up with a groan. Her whole body ached as she moved. "Thanks," she whispered.

He walked to Sam next and untied him from the chair. He walked toward Benton and kicked him in the ribs, for good measure. He hoisted the sutured man up off the floor and locked him to one of his own lab tables. They looked at each other as they waited for the man to wake up.

- - - - -

"If you free me, I'll give you the secret to an immortal life." Benton said as he looked at the trio.

Apple could see a small glimpse of hope in Sam's eyes, this could be Dean's way out. She let herself be pulled into a small huddle as Sam tried to convince Dean to take the offer.

"What Benton has isn't what I call living. No way am I considering it. I'd rather go to hell than be a monster like him."

- - - - -

Sam sighed softly as trio threw dirt back into the grave they had dug into the earth. Dean had turned down Benton's offer and wouldn't allow Sam or Apple to argue with him about his decision. They had locked Benton into a meat freezer and buried the man alive.

That might have been the only way to save Dean, and he had just thrown it away. Sam knew Apple respected Dean's decision, and they both knew Dean would never do something he didn't want to. Damn him for being so stubborn and moral.

- - - - -

Bela had driven all night just to get to the damn motel the boys and that girl were holed up in. It looked like crap to her. She parked her car and walked briskly to the room she knew they were in.

She busted the door open and immediately emptied her gun into the figures sound asleep in the beds. Bela walked slowly to the beds, she couldn't believe she had finally killed the Winchesters and Delaney. She pulled the sheets back and realized what she had shot weren't people, but blow up dolls.

Her phone ran and she instantly picked it up, she sighed as she listened to the voice.

"I felt your hand in my pocket when you swiped the motel receipt." Bela immediately tried to explain but Dean wasn't going to hear it. "I saw the herb, Devil's Shoestring in your motel, over the door. It can only be used to ward off Hellhounds."

Bela's mind pulled out of the present and to a memory of her as she sat on a swing, years ago. Another girl sat beside her, her eyes turned red as she offered Bela what she wanted. She informed her it wouldn't cost her anything for ten whole years.

"Did you steal the Colt to swap to save yourself?" Dean asked.

Bela nodded, even though she knew Dean couldn't see. "I did, but it didn't work. The demon who holds my contract insisted I kill Sam and Apple, too." She begged Dean for help, she wasn't ready to die, not yet.

"It's too late. If you'd asked for help before, we could have used the Colt to save you and me."

"I know about your deal – the same demon that holds my contract, in fact, she holds all contracts. Her name is Lillith."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Maybe you can kill the bitch."

"I'll see you in hell." Dean said before he hung up his phone.

Bela looked at the clock near the bed she had seated herself on, it had just turned midnight. She shivered at the sound of Hellhounds in the distance. She knew there was no way out of this. It was over, finished. She moved to the window, silent tears forced their way out of her eyes and rolled slowly down her cheeks. Dean was right, there was nothing she could do but wait. And that was just what she had intended to do.

(chapter title: emergency - paramore)


	16. chapter fifteen

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

**And sugar, we're going down swinging**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Dean ran through the woods, he could hear the hellhounds behind him. He stopped suddenly as one cut in front of him. He stood for a second and watched the creature before him. Dean know he had to run, he had to get back to Sam and Apple, he had too.

He turned on his heel and ran back the way he had come. He could feel the hound as it closed in on him. It was like a game, and Dean knew he wouldn't make it out alive. It was a stupid limb that finally got him, he kicked himself because should have seen it. He should have seen the stupid piece of tree. He fell to his knees and all the air was forced out of his lungs as the hellhound pounced on him.

He let out a scream that rang through the whole forest, blood spattered all over his face.

- - - - -

Apple and Sam walked into their room, Sam shook his head at something Apple had said. Apple closed the door behind her and sipped on her coffee. The pair looked at Dean as he looked down at the book his face had previously been on, and then up at them.

"Dig up anything good?" Sam asked as he handed Dean a cup of coffee.

Dean closed the book and shook his head. He couldn't bring himself to look up at either Sam or Apple, he was too freaked out about his dream. "No," he said after a minute or two of silence. "Nothing good."

"Well, Bobby has. Finally." Apple offered as she sat next to Dean at the table.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. A way to find Lillith." Sam added.

"Oh. With just uh..." Dean looked down at his watch, he mentally counted down the hours he had left, "thirty hours to go." He finished as he took a drink of his coffee. He smiled before he opened his mouth again. "Hey, why don't we just make a TJ-run, yeah? You know... senoritas, cervezas, uh – we could... What's the Spanish word for 'donkey show'?"

Apple shook her head and looked over at Sam. Sam chuckled at his brother's comment. "So, if we do save you... Let's never do that."

"Yeah." Dean agreed.

Dean looked down at the book in front of him as Sam sat on the other side of him. He looked over at his little brother, and then at the girl he thought he could seriously have a future with. But time just didn't allow for that.

"Hey, Dean." Sam started but quickly cut himself short. He sighed softly before he decided to continue. "Look, we're cutting it close, I know. But we're gonna get this done. Apple and I don't care what it takes, Dean. You're not gonna go to hell. We won't let you." Sam looked over at Apple who nodded her head. "We swear. Everything's going to be okay."

Dean looked at Sam, then Apple as he took everything in. Before he could give a reply, a scared kind of look passed over his face. Sam's face was completely distorted, it flung from side to side at a rapid pace. He moved to look at Apple once more, but her face remained the same as always. Beautiful, yet troubled. He looked back at Sam and noticed his face was the same as always as well.

"Yeah, okay."

- - - - -

Apple paced around a table set up in Bobby's living room. She looked over a map of the states, and watched as Bobby placed some kind of tracking device over the map. It was an odd sort of tracking device, it had three wooden legs that came from a glass ball at the top. She looked up at the ball and noticed it had a flat, metal piece that went around it with symbols inscribed on it. Her blue eyes roamed further down the legs and there was another metal piece, only it was larger. From the ball there hung a pendulum type device that was sharp on the end so it could pinpoint a specific place. Apple wondered how Bobby could have come across such a device.

"So you need a name, that's the whole kit and caboodle. With the right name, right ritual, ain't nothing you can't suss out." She heard Bobby say.

She stopped and turned around so she stood next Dean. "Like the town Lillith's in?" She asked.

"Kid, when I get done, we'll know the street."

Bobby began the ritual. He started the swing for the pendulum and started to chant in Latin. The trio watched as the pendulum began to search over the map until it suddenly stopped.

"New Harmony, Indiana." Bobby said with a small grin. "And we have a winner."

"Alright." Sam pushed the pendulum away and looked at Bobby and Apple. "Let's go."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. Let's all shut up here, Tex." Dean said to him.

"What's the problem?"

"What's the problem? Come on, where do I begin. I mean, first of all, we don't even know if Lilith holds my deal. We're going off of Bela's intel? Now when that bitch breathes, the air comes out crooked. Okay? Second, even if we could get to Lilith, we have no way to gank her. And third, isn't this the same Lilith that wants your giant head on a pike? Should I continue?" Dean said.

"Well ain't you just bringing down the room," Bobby muttered sarcastically.

"Yeah, well it's a gift," he replied.

"I'm sorry, so then what are we supposed to do Dean?"

"Just 'cause I gotta die doesn't mean the three of you have to, okay? Either we go in smart or we don't go in at all."

Apple sighed as she leaned against the table and watched the fight. She was sure there wasn't much she could say, hell, she didn't even know what to say.

"Well if that's the case, then I have the answer." Sam said immediately.

"You do," Dean replied flatly.

"A way to confirm it's Lilith, and to get us a bona fide demon killing instrument."

"Damn it, Sam, no." Dean turned away from Sam and looked at Apple, who just stared back at him.

"Dean, we are so past arguing." Sam said. "Dean, I am summoning Ruby."

"The hell you are! We got enough problems as it is!" Dean argued as he turned back around to face his younger brother.

"Exactly. And we have no time, and no choice, either."

"Come on man, she is the Miss Universe of lying skanks, okay? She told you she could save me. Lie! She seems to know everything about Lilith, but forgot to mention – oh right, Lilith owns my soul!" Dean yelled.

Apple bit her lip as the confrontation wore on. She hated when they did this. Dean didn't have much time left, and what had the brothers decided to do with his time? Argue.

"Okay fine, so she's a liar. But she still has that knife."

"Dean," Bobby began.

"For all we know, she works for Lilith!" Dean cut in.

"So give me another option, Dean!" Sam said. "I mean, tell me what else."

"Sam's right," Bobby cut in again. Apple exchanged a quick look with him, but remained silent.

"No, damn it!" Dean yelled loudly. "Just, no. We are not gonna make the same mistakes all over again. You guys wanna save me, find something else." He walked away from Sam, Bobby, and Apple and sat down in a chair.

"Where're you going, Bobby?" Sam asked as he watched Bobby walk away.

"I guess to... find something else," Bobby replied irritably.

- - - - -

Sam finished the symbol that would allow him to summon Ruby. He looked at it for a second before he began to speak in Latin. He watched the flame of the lit match in his hand for a second before he threw it into the bowl before him. The contents in the bowl ignited and the fire flared up; it calmed down and finally burned out. Sam stood up from the floor and slowly turned to look behind him as he heard the floor creak. He didn't see anything and shrugged his shoulders.

"You know, phones work too." Sam turned back and noticed Ruby as she leaned against the door way. She smiled at him. "Hey, Sam. How's tricks?"

Sam didn't look happy to see her at all, instead he looked angry. "How do you get around so fast?"

"I got the Super Bowl jet pack," Ruby said as she walked toward him. "So. You called?"

"Did you know?" Sam asked.

"Um... gonna need a tiny bit more."

"About Dean's deal. That Lilith holds the contract."

"Yeah, I did."

"And... what? You didn't think that was important?"

"You weren't ready."

"For what?"

"If I told you, you two yahoos would have just charged after her, half cocked. And Lilith would have peeled the meat from your pretty, pretty faces."

"Well, we're ready now." He paused for a second in thought, he looked at the ground then back into the demon girl's eyes. "I want your knife."

Ruby looked at him for a second before she began to walk around him. "You're right about one thing. You are ready. And now's the time, too. Lilith's guard's down."

"Is that so?"

"Shes' on shore-leave. A little R&R."

"The hell's that mean?" Sam asked.

"Trust me, you don't wanna know. You didn't loose those hexbags I gave you?"

"We've got 'em."

"Good. Then she won't sense that you're coming."

Sam turned around and looked at her. She had managed to get behind his back while she walked around. "So you'll give us the knife?"

"No."

"But you just said-"

"You wanna charge in with one little pig sticker? It's a waste of a true-blue window. Like getting Hitler with that exploding briefcase. Forget it."

"Okay, then how?" He asked, clearly annoyed with the woman.

"I know how to save your brother, Sam."

"No, you don't! You told Dean you couldn't! You've been lying to me all along, so just give me your damn knife."

"You're not the one I've been lying to."

"Oh, so you can save him?"

"No. But you can."

"What?" Sam asked.

"Sam, you've got some God-given talent. Well, not 'God'- given but you get the gist."

"All that psychic crap? That's gone, ever since Yellow-eyes died."

Ruby shook her head. "Not gone, dormant. And not just the visions either. Why do you think Lilith is so scared of you?"

"Right... she's scared of me."

"If you wanted, you could wipe her off the map without moving a muscle."

"I don't believe you."

Ruby shrugged. "It's the truth."

"And you decided to tell me this just now?"

"Um... Demon. Manipulative's kinda in the job description. Fact is, that you would have never considered it. Not until you were-"

"Desperate enough?" Sam cut in. The blond and the brunette exchanged a look. She shrugged once more before Sam looked away.

"You don't like being different. You hate the way Dean looks at you sometimes. Like you're some kind of sideshow freak. But suck it up because we've got a lot of ground to cover, and we've gotta do it fast. But we can do it."

Sam clenched his jaw and looked at the floor. After a few seconds, he looked back up at her.

"Look. Call me a bitch, hate me all you want, but I have never lied to you Sam. Not ever. And I'm telling you. You... can save your brother, and I can show you how."

"So that's you, huh? Our slutty little Yoda." Dean said as he and Apple appeared behind Ruby. Neither looked very happy.

"Dean. Apple." Ruby turned around and looked at them. The softness in her voice disappeared as she stared at Dean. "Charming as ever."

"Aw, I knew you'd show up. Because I knew Sam wouldn't listen." Sam looked at Dean, then Apple but quickly looked away. "But you're not gonna teach him anything, you understand me? Over my dead body."

"Oh. Well, you're right about that."

"What you are gonna do is give me that knife. And then you can just go crawl back into whatever slop you came from and never bother me, Apple, or my brother again. Are we clear?"

"Your brother is carrying a bomb inside of him and we'd be stupid not to use it."

"Dean, look, just hold on for one-" But Sam was quickly cut off by Dean's angry voice.

"Sam! Don't. Come on man, what, are you blind? Can't you see this is trick?"

"That's not true." Ruby argued.

"She wants you to give into this whole demonic psychic whatever, okay. I mean hell, she probably wants you to become her little anti-Christ Super Star."

Ruby's features grew angry and as she stared Dean down. "I want Lilith dead. That's all."

"Why?"

"I just told you why!"

"Oh, right, yeah. Because you were human once and you liked kittens and long walks on the beach." Dean mocked.

"You know, I am so sick of proving myself to you. You wanna save yourself, this is how. You dumb, spineless dick."

Dean looked at her for a second, he turned around and grinned at Apple. She quirked an eyebrow and watched him carefully. He came back around and swung his right arm and punched Ruby in the face. Sam and Apple both backed away, Sam was more surprised than Apple; the fact that Dean had told her what was going to happen before hand helped immensely. Ruby took a few steps back, she staggered from the force of the blow. She looked up at Dean and wiped the blood from her lip, after a second, her right fist collided with his face quickly followed by her left.

"Ruby, hey!" Apple finally said, after having had enough.

Ruby quickly went around her and hit her in the back, which caused Apple to double over. She kneed Apple in the face and sent her into a beam and she slid to the floor.

As Ruby turned away from Apple, Dean hit her in the face once with his left fist and was about to hit her with his right when she ducked out of the way and followed his momentum, she kneed him in the stomach.

Sam looked down at Apple and went to her side. Apple held onto her jaw tightly and glared across the room at the blond haired demon. Sam helped her into a sitting position, and looked over her jaw and back. She already know she would have more bruises.

They watched as Ruby kicked Dean in the face, which caused him to fall to the floor. He tried to get up but she walked over him and kicked him hard in the stomach. Dean once again went to get up but Ruby wasn't going to have that. She pulled him up and they stood face to face before Ruby head butted him. Apple tried to get up but Sam held her firmly in place. They watched as Dean fell backward to the floor again.

Ruby stood over Dean, she frowned when a grin crossed his lips. He climbed to his feet. "The hell are you staring at?"

"Missing something?" He pulled out her knife and dangled it in front of her face.

"I'll kill you, you son of a bitch." She rushed toward him but midway was stopped by an invisible wall. She tried to walk past it once as Dean looked at her. Ruby looked at him, then turned her gaze to the roof.

Apple removed her hand and couldn't help but grin as she looked up as well. A Devil's Trap was painted above the demon. She chuckled at the surprised look on Sam's face before she lightly elbowed him to help her up. He stood to his feet and gently pulled Apple to hers.

"Like I said..." Dean began with a smug grin. "I knew you'd come." He walked away from her and moved toward the staircase.

Ruby's eyes followed Dean and she glared. "Wait! You're just gonna leave me here?"

Dean stopped as he waited for Sam and Apple, he completely ignored Ruby. "Let's go Sam, Apple."

Sam and Apple walked toward Dean. He took a deep breath, blinked hard, then started his ascent up the stairs. They pair quickly followed behind him.

"Oh, oh- so you're just too stupid to live, is that it? Then fine! You deserve hell! I wish I could be there, Dean. I wish I could smell the flesh sizzle off your bones. I wish I could be there to hear you scream!" Ruby yelled.

"And I wish you'd shut your pie-hole, but we don't always get what we want."

- - - - -

Apple watched as Dean loaded his favorite gun. She admired the polished silver of the barrel, and the white of the handle. She'd seen him use it so many times, it was going to be weird if she didn't get to see him use it anymore.

They loaded the weapons in silence, but Apple could tell that something wasn't right. She looked at Dean, then at Sam. Sam, his face was furrowed in thought. She continued to load her gun as she waited for him to break the silence. She knew it wouldn't be too much longer.

Sam sighed as he looked at Apple and Dean. "We're just gonna let Ruby rot down there?"

"That's the idea." Dean muttered.

"Dean, what if uh... What if Ruby's right? What if I can take out Lilith?" Dean looked up at him with anger and disbelief. "Quit looking at me like that."

"What, are you gonna give her the Carrie-stare and Lilith goes poof?"

"I don't know what Ruby meant. You know, maybe we should just go ask her."

"Sam, you wanted the knife – I got you the knife."

Apple sighed as she looked at Sam, then watched as Dean walked to another table. She stared down at her gun before she looked from boy to boy once more.

"Dean, just listen to me for a second. Last time Lilith snapped her fingers and put thirty demons on our ass, and all we got is one little knife? I mean, like you said, we go in smart or we don't go in at all."

"Well this ain't smart." Dean argued.

"We got one shot at this, Dean. Just one. So if there's a surefire way then maybe we should just talk about it."

Dean looked at Apple for a second before he walked up to his brother. "Sam. We are not gonna make the same mistakes all over again," he repeated.

"You said that, but what does it mean?"

"Don't you see a pattern here? Dad's deal, my deal, now this? I mean every time one of us is up the creek the other is begging to sell their soul. That's all this is, man. Ruby's just jerking your chain down the road. You know what it's paved with and you know where it's going."

Dean turned around and leaned against the same table Apple occupied. He picked up her gun and checked it over. Sam shook his head and walked around to the other side of the table.

"Dean." He started as he stood on Dean's other side. "What do you think is gonna happen? This is me, I can handle it." Dean handed Apple her gun and shook his head. "And if it'll save you..."

"Why even risk it?"

Dean looked up at Sam as Sam looked away from him. He turned back to look at Dean square in the eyes. "Because you're my brother. Because you did the same thing for me."

Dean scoffed. "I know... And look how that turned out." He looked at Sam and watched as his brother looked away. His gaze then focused on Apple who tried to offer him a small smile but she was sure it ended up as a frown. She could feel the tears as they threatened to escape their prison. "All I'm saying," Dean started but had to stop a second later to steady himself. "Sammy, all I'm saying is that you're my weak spot. And Apple, you've... you and Sam both are."

Apple bit her lip as she attempted fight back the overwhelming emotions that coursed through her. She looked up at Sam, he seemed to be having the same battle. "You both are. And I know that I'm yours."

"You don't mean that, we're... we're family." Sam said, but he knew he only referred to himself and Dean at this point. Dean and Apple were a completely different thing.

"And, I..." Apple tried, but she couldn't say anything. Her blue eyes locked with Dean's green ones and she didn't even know what to say.

"I know. And those evil sons of bitches know it too. I mean, what we'll do for each other, you know, how far we'll go? They're using it against us."

"So what? We just stop looking out for each other?" Apple asked quietly.

"No, we stop being martyrs. We stop spreading it for these demons." Dean picked up Ruby's knife and held it up. "We take this knife, and we go after Lilith our way. The way dad taught us to, and the way you've learned, Apple. And if we go down, then uh... then we go down swinging." Apple and Sam just looked at Dean. "What do you think?"

Sam looked down at the floor then back up at Dean. "I think you totally should have been jamming to 'Eye of the Tiger' right there."

Dean straightened out and grinned. "Oh, bite me. I totally rehearsed that speech, too."

Sam and Apple both smiled at Dean. He smiled back at them. Apple felt closer to the brothers then she would have ever thought possible. She looked at the map before she decided to break the quiet that had enveloped them. "So, Indiana huh?"

"Yeah, where Lilith's on shore-leave."

"Yeah, I guess." Sam said.

"Tell me something," Dean started. Apple and Sam took at him and both tilted their head to the side. "The hell's a demon do for fun?"

(chapter title: sugar, we're going down - fall out boy)


	17. chapter sixteen

Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

Author's Note #2 - This chapter, and chapter title are dedicated to my bestest friend Courtney, whom I love too much for my own good. "In which Dean tells Apple she's special, and doesn't give Sam his chick flick moment, they sing a song, and a demon dies.' Luff youuu! Enjoy.

**It's hard to make the good things last**

**Chapter Sixteen**

The sound of an ice cream truck's melody filled the air of a quiet suburban street. Two older men made their way to their mailboxes. They shared a smile as they met up with each other.

"Hey Pat."

"Tom." Pat greeted.

"How's that granddaughter of yours?"

"Homesick, poor thing. Darn bug that's going around now." The man replied with a smile.

"Aw, that's too bad. Well, you give her a big old hug from me and Judy." Tom said as he collected his mail from the box, and held it in one hand.

"You bet." Pat said as he held his own mail. He shook Tom's hand and turned to leave for his house. "Take it easy Tom."

Tom looked down at his hand and reached with his free hand to unfold the piece of paper. "You too, Pat," he finally said. He looked over at Pat who had closed the door to his house. Tom read over the paper, and shook his head. 'Help us,' he read over and over again.

- - - - -

Pat locked the door and turned around. As he walked toward the kitchen he stepped over a body that was covered in bugs. He tried to ignore the sounds and smell that came from the corpse. He fought back tears as he looked back at his deceased wife before he entered the kitchen.

"Where is she?" Pat asked as he looked at the scared man and woman.

"Upstairs, playing with Freckles," the woman answered.

"We just sit here, we're dead."

"She'll hear you," the man said quietly.

"It's her or us." Pat said as he looked carefully around the room.

"It's my baby girl." Mrs. Fremont whispered as she finished putting the icing on the cake she had baked.

"Not anymore. There's something inside of her."

They all stopped and fell silent as they heard footsteps on the stairs. "Shut your mouth. She's coming." Mr. Fremont hissed.

Mr. and Mrs. Fremont, and Pat turned around as the little girl came in. They stared at her blood covered dress and nearly gawked at how the girl acted as if it was just a little dirt and not the substance that helped keep a person alive.

"What were you talking about?" The little girl asked.

"Just how much we love you." Pat answered.

"What... what happened to your dress?" Mrs. Fremont asked as she looked the girl's soiled clothes over.

"Oh, Freckles was mean to me," was the girl's simple reply.

Mrs. Fremont didn't know what to say, she turned to face Pat who simply shook his head. She turned back to her daughter, shocked and afraid. "That's... that's nice dear."

"Daddy, will you push me on the swing?"

"Oh... sure, honey." Mr. Fremont answered as he walked toward his daughter. "But why don't you change first? I mean, you don't want the neighbors to see... all that blood."

The girl waved her hands and smiled. "Oh you're so smart. I love you, daddy." She walked toward her dad and hugged him. Mr. Fremont looked over at Mrs. Fremont and Pat, not sure what to say or do.

"I love you too. Hey, sweetie? You think... after a while... do you think you could..." He looked over at Mrs. Fremont and she shook her head 'no' at him. "Let us go?" He finished.

The little girl backed away from her dad, the smile completely gone from her face. She looked up at Mr. Fremont with a serious, close to angry look. "Why?"

"I uh... I don't know."

"Don't you wanna be here? Don't you love me?"

"Well, sure I do!"

"We all do honey. We all love you so much." Mrs. Fremont added with a shaky smile.

"Don't be mean to me, daddy. Like Freckles, or what's-her-name, that mean old babysitter."

"I'm sorry."

After a few seconds the daughter's face broke into a smile and she tugged at her dad's hand. "That's okay, silly. Now let's go and play!"

- - - - -

Sam, Dean, and Apple sat in the Impala, ready to leave for Indiana. Dean tried to start the car but it wouldn't start up. The three looked at each other a bit worried, they suddenly jumped as Bobby showed up outside of Dean's door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Dean looked at Bobby and the distributor cap he held in his hand. After a second, he, Sam, and Apple climbed out of the Impala and walked up to the unhappy Bobby. But then again, Dean wasn't all that happy either.

"We got the knife." Dean replied simply.

Sam and Apple came around the other side of the car and stood in the middle, between Dean and Bobby. Both brunettes exchanged a look before they settled their eyes on them.

"Do I look like a ditchable prom-date to you?"

"No, Bobby. Of course not." Apple replied quietly.

"This is about me... and Sam and Apple. Okay? This isn't your fight." Dean had almost decided to leave Apple behind, but Sam was fully against that. And Dean knew he'd catch hell from Apple if he dared tried to leave her behind. Apple had worked her way into their business, and hearts, and therefore was a part of the weirdness that defined their lives.

Bobby closed the distance between himself and Dean; fire seemed to burn in his eyes as he glared at the younger man. "The hell it isn't!" He noticed how startled the three younger people were by his tone and calmed down. "Family don't end with blood, boy. Besides, you need me."

"Bobby." Dean started.

"You're playing wounded. Tell me, how many hallucinations have you had so far?"

Sam and Apple looked at Bobby, confused by his question. They looked over at Dean whose green eyes darted toward them but quickly looked back at Bobby. "How'd you know?"

"Because that's what happens when you've got hellhounds on your butt. And because I'm smart." Dean looked down at the ground as Bobby said this. He handed him the distributor cap. "I'll follow." Bobby walked away from the trio, and stopped at his car. After a few seconds Dean walked over to the hood of his car, ready to put the part back. "Don't be stopping to pee every ten minutes either."

Dean stopped in his tracks, shook his head, and raised an eyebrow at the older man. He turned around and looked at Sam and Apple. They both looked at him, and sighed.

- - - - -

Apple stared out the Impala's passenger window. For the first time, Sam had insisted she share the front seat with his brother, and Apple couldn't wrap her head around that. She looked back at Sam who had surprisingly fallen asleep. Her blue eyes wandered back to Dean, who upon feeling her gaze, turned to look at her.

Her hand slid across the seat gently and came to rest on Dean's knee. He looked down at her hand and grinned at the feel of her fingertips as they traveled up and traced small circles on his upper right thigh. "Wipe that grin off your face." Apple teased.

Dean only reached over and turned the volume up on the Impala's stereo. She chuckled as she continued to trace patterns on his denim covered thigh. Apple bit her lip as she thought about this possibly being the last ride in the Impala with Dean. She tried to think positively but it didn't seem to work.

"What's wrong Apple-pie?" Dean asked as he tilted is head slightly and turned the volume back down.

Apple shook her head and turned her head away from him. She opted to look out the window once more, if she were to have met his gaze, she knew she would have spilled her heart out. It took every thing she had in her not to break down in tears. She looked back at him when she felt something warm and calloused cover her hand.

He smiled at the brunette girl as he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it lightly. Dean wasn't one to show romantic gestures, but this girl, this amazing girl did something to him. And it scared him more than words could ever say. He had played her hot and cold for a while because he just didn't know what to do, or say, or even think. He didn't know if he wanted to hold her close, or push her away. He figured, if things went sour, she should at least know how he felt. It was only fair.

"You're special, you know that?" Dean asked as he placed their hands on the seat between them.

Apple waited for some smart ass joke to follow his question, but she was surprised to find that one didn't. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've never met anyone like you. Most of the time, I run from girls, well after... you know..." Dean waggled his eyebrows at Apple and she merely rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid of getting into anything, again. I had a girl once, and she was a civilian. I made the mistake of telling her about our world, our way of life, and she kicked me out, ended things."

"I'm sorry Dean."

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "You're the first girl I've met since her I can see having something deeper with. I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to tell you, but I wanted you to know... in case something happened."

Apple shook her head and tried to stop the tears that were slowly making their way down her face. She looked up as Dean gently wiped them away. In all the time she'd spent with him, she didn't know he could be as sweet and gentle as he had been. It shocked her and she wasn't sure what to say to him.

"You're special," he repeated. "Just remember that I'll always be here to protect you, you and Sam both. No matter what." He promised.

She scooted over in the seat and pressed herself lightly against Dean's side. "What you did for your brother... it's admirable Dean. You saved his life, and I wish more than anything I could save yours," she whispered. Apple leaned over and pressed her lips against his cheek. "You're special too, and you're brave. You're my hero, Dean. Just from the short time I've known you, I can't imagine never having met you, or your brother."

"I need you to do something for me Apple-pie."

"What's that Dean?"

"If things don't go our way, look after Sammy. I know we're going to fight like hell, but if there's no way out, look after him. He's all the family I have left, besides you. But he's my brother, you know? So just... look after him."

Apple shook her head. "You're going to be fine Dean, you know? We'll get you out of this. And I won't have to look after Sam, you'll be here to do that."

"Apple, please."

"Alright. I promise."

She sighed as Dean's fingers ran through her soft hair. He looked at her and used his fingers to lift her chin. He looked at the road once before he pressed his lips to hers.

- - - - -

Sam wanted to tear his hair out. How was this fair? His brother had thought he had found the girl of his dreams, and he was about to fight to the death with a demonic little girl? Sam hadn't been asleep, far from it. His mind was too wired for sleep. He had listened to the conversation that went on between Apple and Dean and he had honestly wanted to cry.

It wasn't fair. Dean could've been happy. He could've continued to hunt with his brother, and the girl Sam knew Dean loved. But Dean had to mess that up by bringing Sam back. Part of Sam was grateful Dean had brought him back, but he wished it hadn't required Dean to give up his own soul. He couldn't be angry with Dean for looking out for his family, that wouldn't be fair.

It was a little while before Sam decided he needed to 'wake up'. "Hey, Dean?" Sam asked as he sat up and leaned against the front seat. His hazel eyes landed on Dean's hand on top of Apple's, his thumb rubbed gentle circles on the back of her hand.

"Yeah?" Dean finally answered.

"You know if this doesn't uh... this doesn't go the way we want, I want you to know-"

Sam missed the wink Dean shared with Apple before he interrupted Sam. "No. No-no-no-no."

"No what?" Sam asked.

Dean looked back at Sam. "No, you're not gonna bust out the misty good-bye speech, okay? And if this is my last day on earth, I do not want it to be socially awkward."

Sam looked down and out the window as Dean turned back to the road. "You know what I want?" Dean asked. He reached down and turned the radio up again, as he started Bon Jovi's 'Wanted Dead or Alive'.

"Bon Jovi?" Sam questioned.

"Bon Jovi rocks, on occasion."

Dean looked at Apple then back at Sam as if to underline his statement. As Sam looked away from Dean and turned back to look at the road, he nearly jumped at the sound of his brother's voice as he sang along with the song.

Apple and Sam were used to hearing Dean sing loudly to his favorite songs, but never as loud and with as much conviction as he sang now. Apple quirked a brow at Sam before she shrugged her shoulders.

"And I walk these streets, a loaded six-string on my back. I play for keeps," Dean sang. He nudged Apple and turned to look back at Sam. "Come on you two. I know for sure you can sing, Apple." Apple shrugged once more and Sam just laughed. "'Cause I might not make it back. Been everywhere."

"Oh yeah." Apple's head jerked to look at Sam as he sang. He just shrugged his shoulders and grinned.

"I'm standing tall..." Sam and Apple laugh as the both started to sing with Dean.

"I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all. 'Cause I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride, I'm wanted..."

"Wanted!" Sam belted out. Apple and Dean exchanged a look and smiled as they listened to Sam sing. "Dead or alive."

Apple noticed Dean had gone quiet, but Sam continued to sing as he lost himself in the song. She watched as the once brilliant smile that had lit up Dean's face slowly started to fade away. She squeezed his hand lightly and he only looked at her for a second before he looked back out at the road.

Dean had never truly stopped to listen to the lyrics to the song. It seemed to fit him so much right then. He stared out at the road and realized he didn't want to die. He was going to miss this, miss his brother, miss Apple, more than words could ever explain. He wasn't ready to let go, and he decided to fight like hell to stop it. He pulled himself out of his thoughts and focused on the way Apple rubbed small shapes onto the back of his hand. He was going to miss her, and his brother. He didn't want to leave them, his stomach clenched at the thought. He realized that whatever hell the bastards had in store for him, would never compare to being without Apple and Sam. Being without them was hell, the worst kind.

Silence fell over the Impala as the song ended and Sam settled back into his seat. Everyone was consumed by their thoughts, they wondered about the what ifs and they wondered how they were going to cope without each other.

- - - - -

Dean looked in his review mirror as the sound of a siren flooded their ears. He shook Apple awake and looked back at Sam. This seriously couldn't be happening.

"We getting pulled over?" Apple asked as she looked at Dean.

"I've got a busted tail-light. It's not like we're in a hurry or nothing." Dean said as he looked at his side-view mirror.

"Apple, get the license and registration papers out of the glove box." Sam ordered as Dean pulled onto the side of the road, the police car directly behind them.

Apple handed over the papers as the officer approached the Impala, flashlight in hand. Dean rolled the window down and looked up at the officer. "Problem officer?"

"License and registration, please." Dean didn't look at the man as he handed the needed papers to him. "Do you realize you have a tail-light out, Mr. Hagard?"

Dean looked up at him and after a moment felt his face fall. The officer tilted his head and shined the light on him. "Yes... yes sir. Uh... you know, I've been meaning to... take care of that." He turned to look back at the road. "As a matter of fact..." Suddenly, he opened his door fast and hit the officer in the stomach. Dean rushed out of the car.

"Dean!" Apple called as she and Sam both opened their doors, surprised by his actions. They watched as Dean punched the officer three times in the face. Sam ran around the car in an attempt to stop Dean.

Dean quickly reached down and took Ruby's knife from his belt and slammed it into the jaw of the officer. As Bobby pulled up behind the police car, Apple's hand flew to her mouth in shock as she watched the officer flash within, letting everyone know that Dean had just killed a demon. Dean pulled the knife out and let go of the officer who fell to the ground, dead.

Sam, Apple, and Bobby stood nearby, shocked. "What the hell happened?" Bobby asked as he broke the silence.

"Dean just killed a demon. How'd you know?" Sam asked.

Dean breathed heavily as he looked around the ground before he looked up at Sam who was still shocked. A worried look crossed his face before he answered. "I just knew." He turned back to the body, and studied the officer. "I could see it's face. It's real face under that one." Bobby locked eyes with Dean for a minute before Dean was forced to look away.

(chapter title: do you realize - the flaming lips)


	18. chapter seventeen

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

**I'll follow you into the dark  
****Chapter Seventeen**

Apple watched as the boys placed branches over the police car, she picked up a few more and walked toward them. She put her branches on the hood of the car. She thought they had done a pretty good job of hiding it. Her attention turned to Sam as he began to speak.

"So what, now you're seeing demons?" He asked as he looked at Dean.

"I've seen all kinds of things lately, but... nothing like this."

"Actually, it's not all that crazy." Bobby said. He leaned against the well hidden car and faced the two boys and one girl.

"How's it not that crazy?" Apple wondered out loud.

"Well, Dean's got just over five hours to go? You're piercing the veil, Dean. You're glimpsing the B side."

"A little less new age-y please," Dean said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're almost hell's bitch. So, you can see hell's other bitches."

Sam, Apple, and Dean all looked a little surprised at Bobby's choice of words. "Thank you," Dean finally said, though it came out kind of sarcastic.

"Might come in pretty handy, actually," Sam added after a thoughtful look passed over his face.

"Well I'm glad my doomed soul's good for something."

"Damn right it is. Lilith's probably got demons stashed all over town. We can't let them sound the alarm. She knows we're here, we're dead before we've started." Bobby pointed out.

"Well, this is a terrific plan. I'm glad I could be a part of it. Can we go please?"

- - - - -

Mr. Fremont, Pat, and Lilith sat around the table in the dining room. In front of them was nothing but candy and every kind of sweet food available. Mrs. Fremont walked in and placed the cake she had decorated earlier in front of Lilith. Lilith beamed as she counted the candles on the cake and clapped her hands excitedly.

"Happy birthday, sweetie." Mrs. Fremont said and was quickly followed by Pat and Mr. Fremont.

"Yay! It's my birthday everyday!" Lilith cried as she clapped her hands once more. She leaned forward and blew out the candles on her birthday cake. The smile never left her face as Mrs. Fremont moved the cake over and began to cut it into pieces.

"Cake. Again. It's good." Mr. Fremont commented. His eyes moved to Pat who just smiled and nodded his head 'yes'.

"Hey grandpa, can I ask you something?"

"Sure jelly-bean. Anything." Pat answered.

"Why did you go to Mr. Wayburn for help?" Mrs. Fremont looked up from the cake, worried. Pat half-smiled at Lilith before he attempted to get out of the conversation that had risen.

"I didn't. I don't know what you mean."

Lilith's eyes bore into his own as the smile was erased from her face. "You big fat liar," she challenged.

"I'm sorry. It was a mistake," he admitted.

Mrs. Fremont looked down at her husband, unsure of what to say. He looked to the side, then looked at Lilith. Pat looked away from Lilith and at his family, worried. "No." Mr. Fremont finally said.

Pat looked up, shocked that no one attempted to help him. Lilith looked up at Mrs. Fremont who had looked down at Pat once more. He looked up at her for help, for an answer, for anything that would get him out of the precarious situation he found himself in.

"No." Mrs. Fremont said sadly.

"Grandpa? You don't love me?" Lilith asked.

"I do. I do! I love you!" Pat cried.

"No, you don't. You're lying again. You're just a mean old man."

Pat eyes found Mrs. Fremont's once more, they pleaded with her to help him. She stood there, tears formed in her eyes. As much as she wanted to help him, she was too scared of the small girl.

"Do something. Help me, please."

"I don't think I like you anymore." Lilith said darkly. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Mr. and Mrs. Fremont watched as the older man's head fell into his cake. Mrs. Fremont cried out in shock before she put her hand over her mouth to quiet herself. Lilith turned her cold eyes to the woman. "Nobody scream, okay? Screaming makes me mad."

Mrs. Fremont finally took her hand away from her mouth and cut another piece of cake. "Mommy, can I have ice cream with mine?"

- - - - -

"It's the little girl. Her face is awful." Dean said as he handed the binoculars to Apple.

Apple knew she couldn't see what Dean had observed but the little girl did seem a little odd. She handed Sam the binoculars and stepped away from the window. Sam frowned as he looked at the dining room of the home across from the one they occupied. His eyes lingered on the dead older man, and moved to the little girl. He watched her for a few seconds before he lowered the binoculars.

"Alright then, let's go. We're wasting time." Sam said as he walked past Bobby, Dean, and Apple. He moved for the door but was stopped by Dean's hand on his arm.

"Wait."

"For what? For it to kill the rest of them?"

"Yeah, and us too if we're not careful. Look. See the real go-getter mailman on the clock at nine PM?" Dean asked as he pointed out the window.

Sam held up the binoculars and looked at he mailman who sorted mail at the back of his car. He lowered the binoculars and looked at Dean, who pointed once more out the window.

"And Mr. Rogers over there."

"Demons?" Apple asked. She gently took the binoculars from Sam and moved to look at where Dean's finger pointed. Her blue eyes landed on a man who sat in a reclining chair in his home, he smoked a pipe and seemed to read a book.

"Yes."

"Okay, fine. We ninja pass those guys, sneak in." Sam said.

"Then what? Give a 'Columbian necktie' to a ten year old girl, come on!"

Apple placed an arm gently on Dean's arm. He turned to look at the petite brunette woman. "Look, Dean, I know it's awful."

"You think?"

"This isn't just about saving you, Dean. This is about saving everybody," she continued and tried to offer him a small smile to reassure him.

"She's gotta be stopped, son." Bobby added.

Dean looked down at Apple, who blue eyes stared into his green ones. He looked away from her deep eyes to look at Bobby, then turned toward the window. "Oh, damn it," he finally muttered.

- - - - -

"Read it again, mommy." Lilith said to Mrs. Fremont as the two laid in her bed. The little girl was tugged snuggly in her bed, her mother beside her. A book rested open between them.

"But I've read it twenty-six times."

"Again." Lilith said harshly.

"Once upon a time in the town of Celine lived a beautiful princess named Cleo. But the town was plagued by an evil dragon that demanded the blood of children, and the princess was doomed to be sacrificed to the dark and terrible dragon." Mrs. Fremont read as Lilith nuzzled her head onto her shoulder.

- - - - -

The mailman stood by the back of his truck, he flipped through a few pieces of mail in his hand. A loud sound from across the street invaded his ears, and he looked up to try and pinpoint what had caused the ruckus. His eyes landed on a man who stood by the fence, his eyes went coal black as he started after the intruder.

Dean ran back the way he had come as the demon chased after him. He rounded the corner and waited. As the mailman came around the same corner, he ran right into Sam who held up Ruby's knife. Sam plunged the knife into his body, he struggled for a moment as he tried to turn the body around, Apple came up behind him and covered the demons mouth so he wouldn't alarm the neighborhood of the sudden attack. Sam pulled out the knife and the trio watched as the demon flashed a few times before Apple let him fall to the ground.

- - - - -

Bobby stood over a sprinkler system. He began to chant in Latin, rosary in hand. He dropped the rosary into an opening, and watched as it was carried away by the stream.

- - - - -

Sam removed the knife that had been previously located in Mr. Rogers' stomach, who was face down on the ground, dead. He stood up and moved to stand next to Dean and Apple, he wiped the blood off of the knife. Apple watched as Dean dragged the body of Mr. Rogers' into a closet.

Dean joined the pair once more before he nodded at them. Sam and Apple watched for a second before they followed behind him. They watched from a distance as Dean stopped by a fence, when Ruby suddenly appeared behind him. She shoved him into the fence and held him there.

"I'd like my knife back, please. Or your neck snaps like a chicken bone," the blond demon threatened.

Sam and Apple approached the the pair carefully. Sam passed Ruby's knife to Apple, who walked up behind Ruby and held the knife to her throat. "He doesn't have it. Take it easy."

Ruby backed away from Dean and released him from the fence. Apple carefully removed the knife and stood next Dean and Sam.

"How the hell did you get out?" Dean asked.

"What you don't know about me could fill a book." Ruby retorted.

"Whoa."

"What?"

Apple watched with wonder as Dean refused to look at Ruby anymore. "Nothing. I just- I couldn't see you before, but you're one ugly broad."

"Apple, give me the knife before you hurt yourself."

"You'll get it when this is over." Sam stepped in. He carefully took the knife from Apple and stood in front of her, as if to protect her.

"It's already over. I gave you a way to save Dean, you shoot me down. Now it's too late. He's dead. And I'm not gonna let you die too."

"Try and stop me, and I'll kill you. Bitch."

"Hit me with your best shot, baby."

Dean, who had been turned away from them, his eyes watched the direction he had originally been headed in, finally turned to face them. "Guys, guys! Hey. Have your little cat fight later."

The group turned to look at what Dean pointed out. A father and son watched them from their porch, along with a man with a briefcase. "Shit." Apple muttered.

"So much for the element of surprise." Dean muttered.

"Go. Go. Run. Run!" Sam yelled as he pushed everyone in the direction of Lilith's house. He looked back once and noticed more people had chased after them.

- - - - -

Sam reached the house first. He kneeled down and immediately began to pick the lock. Ruby, Dean, and Apple slid to a stop behind him, they turned and watched as even more people ran toward them.

"What the hell is taking Bobby?" Dean asked.

"I'm trying!" Sam cried as he worked harder at the lock. For some reason it didn't want to budge. He looked back at the demon's that chased them and winched as one of them reached the lawn.

Dean watched with satisfaction as the sprinklers finally turned on and created a barrier of holy water between them and the demons. He smiled as he watched the demons fall to the green grass, they writhed and screamed in pain as their flesh sizzled. The demons formed their own type of barrier around the lawn and carefully avoided the blessed water.

Finally they heard a small sound of triumph as Sam flung the door open and walked into the house. With one last smile, Dean turned from the demons and followed the group into the house.

- - - - -

Sam and Ruby stood over the body of a dead woman, the looks on their faces were nothing short of shock. Neither Dean and Apple had turned from the door yet, they stood and looked at each other after having shut the door.

"Apple, remember what I told you okay? No matter what, I'm going to protect you and Sam. If anything goes wrong, for me, you look after Sammy. I'll always be watching over you two." He kissed her forehead lightly. Blue eyes stared deeply into green, so many things were said between them in that instant, and that moment would forever haunt Apple.

She reached up and pressed her lips to his, she kissed him with everything they'd never said, she wanted him to feel this. Apple's feelings told her things weren't going to be okay, and as much as she tried to deny them, to push them away, they just grew stronger and stronger. His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. Apple thought she would break down as she pulled away from him. Her lips brushed his ear as she whispered, "Fight like hell, Dean."

The pair broke apart and walked toward Sam and Ruby. Both looked over the elderly woman on the floor. She looked like she had been there for a while. Apple sighed as she looked at Ruby.

"You think Lilith knows we're here?"

"Probably," the demon replied.

They looked around a bit before they walked into the living room. Sam went in first, he held Ruby's knife as if it were a gun, he looked around and motioned for the others to follow him in. Apple was next, followed by Dean and Ruby.

The creak of a door made the group turn around. Dean's hand shot out a he captured a man who had tired to rush him. He covered the man's mouth with his hand and tried to shush him, they didn't need Lilith to find out about them yet.

"We're here to help. Okay? I'm gonna move my hand, and we're gonna talk nice and quiet, okay?" Dean whispered.

The man nodded his head 'yes', and Dean slowly removed his hand. "Sir, where is your daughter?" Sam asked.

"It's not... it's not her anymore," the man replied.

Apple moved to stand in front of the shaken man. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs, in her bedroom."

"Okay, okay, okay. Listen to me. I want you to go downstairs to the basement. Put a line of salt at the door behind you. Do you understand me?" Dean whispered once more.

"Not without my wife," the man argued.

"Yes, without your wife."

"No," the man continued. Dean, fed up with him, punched him and knocked the man out cold. He didn't have time to argue with the stubborn man. He picked him up and put him over his shoulder, he gave the others a look before he started to walk off.

- - - - -

Sam, Ruby, and Apple walked upstairs, their backs were pressed against the wall as they attempted to be as stealthy as possible. When they finally reached the second floor, Ruby walked to the door on their right, she looked at Sam who nodded his head. She walked in, and closed the door behind her. Apple followed Sam to a door on their left. Her ear was pressed lightly to the door as she tried to listen for any sign of life, or the demon possessed girl. She nodded at Sam, who slowly opened the door. He slipped in, quickly followed by Apple.

The pair walked carefully into the room, Sam held the knife out in front of him. He nodded for Apple to walk toward a drape covered bed, upon having reached it, she slowly pulled the drapes back and allowed Sam to stand over the girl and the mother. He stood before the pair, knife poised to kill the young girl.

"Do it," the woman whispered as quietly as she could. Sam looked down at the child and prepared himself to take her life. "Do it," the woman repeated.

Sam nearly took a step back as girl shifted around. His eyes trailed to the woman who the little girl was nuzzled up against, the look in her eyes was sheer panic and fear. He readied himself once more as the woman once again urged him to do it. The little girl's eyes opened and she sat up.

"Hurry!" the woman said. The girl screamed and opened her eyes fully. Sam lunged for her but was surprised at the fact that he was pulled away from his target. He looked over his shoulder at his older brother, then to Apple and Ruby.

"It's not her." Dean said as his eyes stayed on the girl.

"Mommy!" The girl sobbed as he looked at her mom.

"Mommy's here. Mommy's here. It's okay."

(chapter title: i'll follow you into the dark - death cab for cutie)


	19. chapter eighteen

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

**It's too late to fight, it ends tonight  
Chapter Eighteen**

"Alright, no matter what you hear. You, your husband, and your daughter stay in the basement." Dean ordered as he opened the basement door for Mrs. Fremont and her daughter and followed them down to check the salt lines. Apple, Sam, and Ruby stood in the hallway as they watched Dean disappear.

"Well, I hate to be a 'told you so.'" Ruby said with a slight grin.

"Alright Ruby, where is she?"

"I don't know." The group entered the living room and Apple sat carefully on the arm of the couch while Sam and Ruby stood face to face.

"Could she get past the sprinklers?" Apple asked.

"Her pay grade, she ain't sweating the holy water."

"Okay, you win. What do I have to do?"

Ruby and Apple looked at Sam questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"To save Dean." Sam asked as Dean appeared behind him. Apple knew this wasn't going to be good. "What do you need me to do?"

Dean grabbed Sam from behind in an attempt to turn him around. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Just shut up for a second," he snapped as he pulled loose from Dean. "Ruby!"

"You had your chance. You can't just flip a switch. We needed time," she answered simply.

Dean came up behind Sam once more and grabbed him. "Don't, Dean! I'm not gonna let you go to hell, Dean!"

"Yes, you are!" Dean shouted. Apple moved quietly from her perch and stood beside the men. "Yes, you are." Dean repeated, his voice much calmer than it had been before. The pair just stared at him. "I'm sorry. I mean this is all my fault, I know that. But what you're doing, Sam, it's not gonna save me. It's only gonna kill you."

Sam looked away from Dean, tears brimmed in his hazel eyes. "Then, what am I supposed to do?"

"Keep fighting," Dean turned to Apple when he said this. He made sure she knew this was for her as well as his younger brother. "Take care of my wheels, take care of Apple, watch after yourself, Sammy. Remember what dad taught you... okay?" Apple and Sam nodded. A tear slid down Apple's cheek as she listened to Dean. "And remember what I taught you, what I taught both of you, what I've told both of you..."

Tears built up in Dean's green eyes as the grandfather clock chimed, it let them all know midnight was there. Apple, Sam, and Dean stood silent as all three of them looked at the clock. Sam and Apple watched Dean, tears slid down their faces as Dean just gave a small smile and fought to hold back his own tears.

Apple couldn't let him go, she just couldn't. She wouldn't. With sure steps she made herself stand in front of Dean, her hand wrapped around the back of his neck as she pulled his face down to meet hers. Her lips crashed against his in an intense and urgent kiss. Her heart broke as he pulled away; it crashed to the floor and landed in a million tiny pieces.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy." Apple heard Ruby say, and another tear rolled down her already damp cheeks.

Dean's face fell as he heard the sound he knew only he and Ruby could hear. He turned and looked at the direction the growl had come from. "Hellhound," he whispered.

"Where?" Sam asked.

"There."

Ruby felt her own face fall as she finally looked at the dog. Seconds had passed, and finally all four bolted out of the room. They ran into an at home office and slammed the door in the face of the hound.

X - X- X- X

Dean removed a bag of gofer dust out of the pocket of jacket and began to spread the contents of the bag in front of the door. The ruckus the hellhound had made suddenly stopped and the group stood still. Dean tossed the bag to Apple who immediately began to pour it on the windowsill.

"Give me the knife, maybe I can fight it off," Ruby said to Sam who only gave her a confused sort of look.

"What?"

"Come on! That dust won't last forever!"

Dean turned around and looked at them from behind Apple. After a moment, Sam took out the knife and was ready to hand it over to Ruby when Dean called for him to wait.

"You wanna die?" Ruby asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Sam, that's not Ruby. It's not Ruby!" Dean said.

Sam turned to look at Ruby. She didn't even blink as Sam and Apple were flung hard up against the wall, pinned there. Sam dropped the knife that had been in his hands and watched helplessly as it slid to the floor. Ruby then turned to Dean who stared at her, shocked. She smiled slightly as she flung him onto a table and effectively pinned him there. Dean grunted as he held his head up to look at Ruby once more. Sam and Apple looked from Dean to Ruby.

"How long have you been in her?" Dean asked.

Ruby's entire face seemed to change; it became almost childlike. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled slightly. "Not long," was Lilith's reply. She looked down at the body she had possessed before she looked back up. "But I like it. It's all grown up and pretty." She looked at Dean, her eyes turned white before she looked at Sam and Apple.

"Where's Ruby?" Apple asked as she watched Lilith's eyes turn back to their normal color.

"She was a very bad girl, so I sent her far, far away."

"You know, I should have seen it before... but you all look alike to me." Dean said from his position on the table.

Lilith ignored Dean as she made her way toward Sam. "Hello, Sam. I've wanted to meet you for a very long time." She grabbed hold of his chin and forced him to look at her. Against his will, she pressed her lips to his. Apple could have sworn she heard a small sizzle as their lips met.

"Your lips are soft." Lilith muttered as she pulled away.

Sam moved his head up and to side as he attempted to get Lilith's fingers away from his face. Apple watched with pity and pure rage at the fact that she wasn't able to do anything but stay against the wall. "Right, so you have me. Let my brother go." Sam said as he looked down at her.

"Silly goose. You wanna bargain, you have to have something I want. You don't." Apple turned her gaze on Lilith finally, her eyes glared daggers into the demon. Lilith met Apple's glare and smiled. Her fingers ran gently over Apple's cheek and Apple shook her head in an attempt to get rid of girl's touch. "And you, you've been bad too. Helping the brothers out. Tsk, tsk. Shame on you."

"Yeah, you see, I would care but I just really don't like you." Apple said. Suddenly, Apple's heart began to hurt. It literally felt as if someone had put their hand in her chest and squeezed her heart in the palm of their hand. She let out a scream and wriggled around as she tired to get away from the pain.

"Hey! Blondie!" Dean called. Lilith turned to look at him, her gaze moved away from Apple. Dean watched as the brunette girl tried to steady her breath; her body shook, and even more tears ran down her cheeks. "So, is this your big plan, huh? Drag me to hell. Kill Sam and Apple. And then what? Become queen bitch?" Dean asked as he distracted the demon.

"I don't have to answer to puppy chow." Lilith answered. Lilith wasn't stupid. She knew Dean had only called to her in an attempt to get her away from the girl pinned next to Sam. To be honest, Lilith didn't care, she was bored of that anyway. Amusement was evident in her eyes as she watched pain flood Dean's eyes as he held himself up against the hold she had on him.

Dean's eyes followed the blond as she walked toward the door. Her hand grasped the handle and a small grin graced her lips. "Sick 'em, boy."

Sam snapped his head toward Dean as the words left her mouth. Apple had managed to get enough strength to do the same; her eyes locked with Dean's and wasn't even sure what emotion she had conveyed to him. They watched the gofer dust as it flew away from the door as something ran into the room. Lilith just smiled and laughed as she watched the hellhound run to the table.

The dog grabbed Dean by his leg and pulled the man to the floor. Dean screamed as it tore at his leg. Apple and Sam could do nothing but stare in horror, both felt helpless, scared, and panicked.

"No! Stop!" Sam cried.

Lilith just looked over at him and then down at Dean who struggled on the floor. The hound had finished it's work on his leg and attacked his chest. Another scream escaped his lips at it tore at him; he couldn't breathe, it hurt to much, everything hurt him.

"Stop it!" Apple managed to yell as tears poured down her cheeks.

Lilith just continued to watch with a smile. The hound slashed at Dean's back and shoulder. "No!" Sam yelled. He watched as his brother was flipped onto his back and the hound slashed at his chest once more as blood gushed out. "No. Stop it," he pleaded.

Apple's blue eyes watched in horror as blood poured out of Dean's chest. The screams had stopped and that chilled her to the bone. "No. Stop it." It was her turn to plead now. If Apple thought what Lilith had done to her earlier had been bad, nothing compared to what she felt now. Her heart seemed to have stilled in her chest, and every breath felt like ice cold air to her lungs.

Dean fought for his last breaths, he was tired; so tired. He couldn't fight anymore. His eyes barely made it to where Apple and Sam stood pinned against the wall. His eyes connected with Sam's, then at last they landed on Apple's brilliant blue eyes. They stood out more than anything else around him, he tried to hold on to her gaze; tried to hold on to the warmth they let off even though he was sure she didn't realize they still held warmth for him. Her eyes felt like home to him, something he had waited a lifetime to feel again. He blinked once, two tears ran down his cheeks. One, for the brother he had given his life for; he loved his brother, and if he had to do everything over again, he would. The other was for the girl he hadn't known but three months and it already felt like a lifetime; it fell for the girl he loved and hoped she knew he meant every word he had said. He sucked in one last, painful breath and exhaled it slowly.

"NO!" Sam and Apple cried as they watched Dean stilled.

Lilith smiled at the pair. "Yes," she said gleefully. She held her hand up and white light erupted all around them. Sam turned his head and Apple did the same, eyes shut tightly. Suddenly, the white light was retracted, Lilith's once pure white eyes turned back into their normal color. She looked at the brunette man and woman; a mix of confusion and shock on her face. Somehow, Apple and Sam had ended up curled up on the floor next to a cabinet. Sam's arm was drawn protectively around Apple while his free hand did its best to protect his face. After he noticed that nothing had happened and the light had vanished, he slowly took his hand down. He shook Apple lightly and she removed her head from the protection of his broad shoulder.

Sam stood to his feet and gently pulled Apple up with him. Lilith looked down at the floor, afraid. She held out her hand once more and stared. "Back," she commanded. "I said, back," Lilith repeated as Sam walked toward her.

With a determined look on his face, Sam bent down and picked up Ruby's knife. Lilith looked extremely afraid still, and he looked just as determined and hateful. "I don't think so."

He pulled his hand back, and motioned to stab her but Lilith suddenly exited Ruby's body. The black smoke shot out of her body as she screamed and exited through the ventilation in the roof.

Apple finally found the strength to join Sam, she stood by his side as they looked at the bodies of Dean and Ruby. She watched as Sam slowly walked toward Dean; he started to cry as he bent down next to his brother's still body. He picked Dean up, and held his head close to his chest. Apple was at his side in no time, her fingers trailed lightly over Dean's jaw as tears poured down her own cheeks.

"No... No... Dean..." Sam said, his voice choked with tears.

"Dean," Apple whispered sadly as she kissed his cold lips. "I'm sorry."

X – X – X - X

"Help! No! Somebody help me!" Dean yelled. He looked around and saw that he was alone, utterly and completely alone. A chill set in as he listened to thunder as it rumbled all around him.

He was stuck. Hooks were plunged into various parts of his body and any sort of movement ripped at him, slowly. He couldn't see where the chains from the hooks went; they seemed to go on forever into oblivion. He closed his eyes and felt pure loneliness. He wanted his Apple, he wanted his Sammy, he wanted his Impala; he wanted everything back. He missed his girl, and his brother. He, for what felt like the first time in his life, was completely terrified.

"Sam! Apple!" He screamed helplessly.

(chapter title: it ends tonight - all american rejects)


	20. chapter nineteen

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

**When darkness turns to light  
****Chapter Nineteen**

Apple looked up from her position on the floor next to Dean as Sam ended his call. Neither brunette had spoken to each other in quite some time; the only sound had come from Sam as he told Bobby it was over. All they had to do now was wait for Bobby to show up.

It didn't take the older man long before he helped Apple out to the Impala. Sam maneuvered Dean's lifeless body into the backseat before he climbed into the driver's seat. He started the car and turned the radio off as they waited for Bobby to finish his talk with the Fremonts.

Soon, they had pulled out of the neighborhood and followed Bobby to a secluded area of wood. Apple wasn't sure she would be able to do this; to watch Dean's body be salted and burned would signify just how final this really was. She sighed quietly as she looked back at Dean's body. He looked as if he were just in a peaceful sleep instead of fallen. She couldn't get over that.

Apple leaned her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until she felt Bobby's hand on her shoulder; her eyes fluttered open with a grimace. "Come on," he said quietly. Bobby helped her out of the car and to the boards that had been stacked and spread out to form a type of cruel bed.

"Apple?" Sam's voice croaked. Her pale blue eyes turned to face him, her head inclined slightly. "I think Dean wanted you to have this."

He gently pulled her hand out in front of her and lowered Dean's silver ring into her palm. Her eyes gazed at for a second, she could feel the tears as they begged to escape their prison. Apple took the ring and walked to where the men had laid Dean. She stood before him and let the tears spill from her eyes. Carefully, she took the chain with the silver key off of her neck. She slid the key off and exchanged it for Dean's ring. Apple placed the key into Dean's cold hand. She bent over and kissed his pale cheek. "I love you, you know."

Sam watched her the whole time, his hazel eyes never looked away; his heart broke all over again. He swallowed past the lump in his throat as he took Apple's place beside his brother. He didn't know what to say to the man; he'd been his hero, his brother, his protector, and his best friend.

"Bobby, can you?" Sam asked, as he stepped away from his brother's body. He stood next to Apple who had her back turned as she stared at the sun that had begun to rise.

Sam's long arms folded around Apple's small shoulders as he pulled her into a hug. Apple turned around and placed her face in Sam's chest; she cried for what seemed like an eternity. She couldn't watch Dean's body be engulfed by the flames, she just couldn't.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Sam wondered how the world could ever attempt to be beautiful; especially when their whole world has just ended.

X – X – X – X

Apple hurt all over; every bone in her body ached. Was she in a bed? How had she gotten there? Her eyes opened, first her left then her right. The first thing she noticed was that she was indeed, in a bed. The second thing she noticed was a certain warmth that radiated from beside her. She knew this couldn't be right, the only person with whom she shared a bed was Dean, and Dean had been gone for a week already. Or was it hours? Maybe it had been days. Time seemed to blur for Apple now, she wasn't even sure what day it was.

She turned over once more to investigate said warmth. She was surprised to find that Sam was curled up next to her fast asleep; this seemed to confuse Apple, yet she found it to be a small comfort. She had shared a bed with Dean for three months, to sleep by herself would be a feat she didn't think she could have accomplished. A sigh escaped her lips as she struggled to climb out of the comfortable bed. Eventually, with much effort, her feet found the soft carpet and she padded to the bathroom.

The water was turned up as hot as it could go, it burned her skin as she stepped into the shower. Apple hardly noticed; she stood under the spray and just let the water wash over her. Sobs racked her body as she thought about how lonely she was without Dean, and how her heart ached for him; not just for herself, but for Sam as well.

It didn't last long enough, in Apple's mind, as she turned the cold water off and stepped out of the shower. She dried off as quickly as she could and threw on a pair of sweats and one of Sam's hoodies. She studied her reflection for a second as she fingered the silver ring around her neck; she really didn't look like herself anymore.

"Morning Sam," she greeted as she found the tall boy on their bed. He nodded toward a cup of coffee on the kitchen table, and she smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

This was their routine. After he had finally pulled Apple away from Dean's worn leather jacket, he would put her in their bed; she would cling to him for dear life and he would be forced to sleep there. Sam didn't mind so much, it was a small comfort for them both; anything he could do to help Apple, he would do.

The first few days without Dean were hell for them both. Sam wasn't sure either of them had moved. To his recollection, he and Apple shared the same bed and slept through the days; too in pain to do much else. Eventually, Apple would wander out of bed and lock herself in the bathroom. That was when Sam had to get used to a cold shower. He could still hear the painful, broken sobs that racked the poor woman's fragile body; it killed him every time. Then she would come out of the bathroom, dressed in sweats and one of Sam's hoodies and would act as if nothing had ever happened.

Sam thought he was doing okay; if how hard and stoic he had gotten was any indication of that. His only weak spot now was Apple, he would do anything for her; mainly for Dean, who had instructed him to watch after the girl. He knew, as much as he wished they didn't, that soon they would have get back up and fight once more. Dean had told them to keep with the fight, to help people; he wondered if either him or Apple were ready for that.

X – X – X – X

"Hey, Apple?"

"Yeah, Sam?" Apple lifted her head from the magazine she had been glued to and tilted her head.

"I was thinking, you remember what Dean said before the clock struck midnight?"

"About continuing on?"

"Yeah."

"What about it?"

Sam sighed and carded his fingers through his long hair. "I think it's time we started hunting again."

It had been a few weeks since their last stand with Dean and their last hunt. Apple knew they needed to get back out and fight, but she wasn't sure if she could do that. Though the voice in her head that sounded like Dean, encouraged her and promised her she could do it. She knew he was right, and he had told Sam and Apple to carry on; it was their job.

Apple finally nodded her head. "I guess you're right, Sam."

X – X – X – X

Sam and Apple both felt surprisingly better after their battle with a poltergeist; it had attached itself to a small suburban home and continually scared families out of its home. The job was simple, it wasn't something the pair would have normally gone after but they figured they needed to start small.

Apple clung tightly to the leather jacket around her; Dean's leather jacket. She took comfort in the warmth it brought to her, and the smell of Dean that surrounded her. She wondered if this would ever get easier. It probably wouldn't if she continued to do this to herself. What else could she do?

"You alright?" Sam asked as he broke the silence that had covered them.

"Yeah, just wondering if this will get easier," was her quiet reply.

Sam reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "It will. We just have to keep moving ahead; you and I both know that's what Dean would want. That, and for us to look after one and other."

Apple nodded her head and squeezed Sam's hand back. She closed her eyes for a second and tried to steady her breaths; it didn't seem to do much good as a few tears escaped and trailed lightly down her cheeks.

X – X – X – X

A year went by before they found a small pattern of normalcy; minus the few break downs on both their parts. Apple's hand worked steadily on a deep scratch in Sam's side. They had hunted down a werewolf in North Dakota, and successfully killed it.

"You're gonna need stitches," the brunette woman said. The wound was clean now, but it pretty deep.

Sam took a swig of tequila and fought the urge to gag as the alcohol burned his throat as he swallowed. "Go on." Apple carefully threaded the needle with black thread and began her work. "Dean was right, you're an artist with a needle."

A small chuckle came from the girl as her gazed headed toward the leather jacket thrown over an abandoned chair. "Yeah, well, that's Dean for you."

"Were any of your wounds bad?" Sam wondered.

"No, not too bad. Just a few light scratches and bruises. Other than that, I'm just peachy."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Positive." She cut the extra thread and looked her handy work over. "All finished."

Sam looked down at the wound and smiled slightly. "Thanks Apple."

"As I always say, anytime Sam." She took her small medical kit, closed it up, and placed it by her bed. "I'm gonna go take a shower."

"'Kay," Sam said sleepily as he crawled under the covers of their bed.

Apple smiled slightly as she grabbed her things from her bag and made her way to the bathroom. She closed the door and locked it before she undressed. Apple looked herself over in the mirror, her fingers touched her multiple fight induced wounds. She sighed as she looked up at the mirror, her face became hollow and expressionless.

This was how she was when she wasn't around Sam. Truth be told, she'd never gotten over Dean's death; probably never would. A good piece of her died with him that night, while a small portion remained with Sam; whom was like a brother to her. Apple closed her eyes and took a breath before she opened them once more; she let them settle on the mirror and nearly screamed as she did so.

"Dean?" she asked.

(it ends tonight – all american rejects)


	21. chapter twenty

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

**About some idealistic future  
****Chapter Twenty**

Dean shot out of bed and looked around. Wait, bed? When did he get into a bed? The last thing he remembered was being hooked to never ending chains. Where the hell did the bed come into play? He looked to his left and noticed he wasn't alone in the bed either, there was an almost too familiar brunette woman next to him. Gently, he moved her hair out of her face and gasped as his eyes rested on Apple.

The last time this sort of thing had happened, a djinn was behind it all. That couldn't be happening again, Dean had been in hell. Was he still in hell? Dean slid out of the bed carefully, trying to avoid waking the slumbering woman. He stretched his limbs, amazed at how good that felt. "The hell?" Dean muttered as he looked down. He was naked, completely naked. He walked to the first door he saw and was surprised to find all of his clothes hung within. He grabbed a pair of jeans, slid them on, then grabbed a random black shirt. Slipping the shirt on, he looked around once more before leaving the room.

His eyes gazed at the different pictures on the walls; they were all of Apple and himself. He paused to stare at a wedding photo. They were married? He looked down at his left hand and was surprised to find his silver ring was placed on his ring finger. Whoa. He continued down the hall and eventually found himself in what must have been the living room. He looked around and out of the corner of his eyes spotted a picture of Sammy; his arm wrapped around the waist of a pretty blond. "Way to go Sammy."

"Babe?" The sound of that voice made his heart beat faster in his chest, surely this was a dream; she couldn't be standing in the same room as him. He was dead.

"Yeah?" He answered, his voice sounded shaky and he wondered if she noticed that.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh, just couldn't sleep anymore."

Apple walked toward Dean and stopped by his side. Her blue eyes landed on the picture Dean had been looking at. "They're really happy, you know? Sam and Court."

"Court?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah, his girlfriend. Remember? You met them at Christmas. She's a great girl."

Dean nodded his head. "Have you checked on Sammy?"

"Um, no. How is he?"

His wife raised a dark colored eyebrow at him. "Why don't you go find out? He's in his room." She shook her head as he took Dean's hand and lead him toward a room Dean had passed on his way to the living room; he'd never even stopped and thought about checking it out.

Apple stood in front of a crib, staring down at the beautiful baby inside. "That's... he's... our baby?" Dean stuttered.

"No. He's a love child, you actually thought he was yours?" Apple asked, a teasing tone to her voice.

"Can I?" Dean asked as he motioned to pick up the sleeping child.

"Dean, he's yours, babe. You don't have to ask permission. What's gotten into you?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders as he gently lifted the baby from his crib. His arms gently swung from side to side as the baby slept on. Dean wasn't sure of what was going on, but he couldn't say he minded it much. He was married to the girl he had fallen in love with, they had a beautiful baby boy, and his brother was finally happy with the girl he loved; from what Dean knew anyway.

"How's his uncle?"

"Sam? Oh, he's doing fine. Him and Courtney actually just moved in together."

"That's great. So he's happy?"

"Yeah, I'd say so." Apple held out her arms for her son. "Samuel Alexander Winchester, quite a clever name you chose Dean," she commented as Dean carefully placed the baby in her loving arms. "They're coming over tonight for dinner. They haven't met Sammy yet, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Right." Dean's green eyes watched she placed a gentle kiss on his baby boy's head before she laid him back in his bed.

"Come on." Apple tugged at Dean's hand and led him back to their bedroom. The back of Dean's knees hit the bed and he fell; Apple right on top of him. She rested her head on his chest and listened to the beat of his heart. "Who would have thought we'd end up like this?"

Dean stroked her hair as he looked down at her. He kissed the top of her head, and looked up at the ceiling. He wasn't sure what was going on, but if this really was hell, he didn't think it was as bad as he heard it was. "Apple?"

"Yeah?"

"Sing to me."

Apple chuckled. "I haven't sang to you in a while Dean, where'd that come from?"

"Please?"

"Oh fine." Apple sighed as she got up from her position. She made herself comfortable against the headboard of their bed and motioned for Dean to join her. He laid his head in her lap and her fingers gently moved over his face. "Love of mine, someday you will die. But I'll be close behind, I'll follow you into the dark," she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

"No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white; just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark. If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied; illuminate the 'nos' on their vacancy signs." Her fingers threaded lightly through his close cropped hair. She could feel his breath as it evened out. "If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark."

Dean's green eyes opened and they gazed into Apple's blue orbs. He sat up and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss felt as if it were a life or death kind of thing, which Apple found extremely odd. His hand cupped her cheek and rubbed soothing circles. "I love you," he whispered.

X – X – X – X

"Is he seriously still sleeping? You told him what time we'd be here right?"

"Yeah, he said he remembered."

Dean's eyes opened and quickly closed as bright light invaded them. "The hell?" He muttered as he propped himself onto his elbows. "Sammy?" Dean was out of bed in no time as he practically ran to the voices. "Sammy!" Dean threw his arms around his baby brother and nearly crushed him with the force of his hug.

"Dean? Can't breathe."

"Sorry." Dean said as he pulled away. He looked his brother over and noticed he looked extremely well; much better than Dean could ever remember seeing him. "And you must be Courtney," Dean turned to address the blond woman.

"Yeah, Dean. We've kind of met before," the blond replied, her hands coming to rest on her hips.

"Right. Yeah, it's just been a while."

"Mhmm. Where's the baby?" Courtney asked as she turned to face Apple.

"Come on, I'll show you." Apple practically dragged the blond to the baby's room.

X – X – X – X

"How've you been Sam?" Dean asked as he grabbed a beer for himself and his younger brother.

"Uh, good. You know, just finishing up with school."

"You went back to school?" Dean couldn't help but feel proud at that. His baby brother was finally getting the normal life he had always wanted.

"Yeah, Dean. You feeling alright?"

"Yeah, just great."

Apple walked into the room, Courtney at her side, she stopped before Sam and held the baby in front of him. "Sammy, meet your Uncle Sam."

Sam gently took the baby from his sister-in-law with a small. "Babe, I say we should have one of these." Courtney said as she sat next to Sam.

Dean raised an eyebrow as he looked over at his younger brother. "Actually, there's something I've kind of been meaning to do." Sam said as handed his nephew back to Apple. "Court, I've got something to ask you?"

"What's that?"

They watched as Sam got on one knee before the blond. Her face froze as she watched him remove a small red box from the pocket of his jeans. "Will you marry me?"

"And then can we have a baby?"

Sam laughed as he nodded his head. "Sure."

"Yes! I'll marry you Sam Winchester." Sam carefully slipped the diamond ring onto her small finger. "Apple?!"

"What, hun?"

"I'm getting married!"

X – X – X – X

Everything had seemed to go really well that night at dinner. Apple, Sam, Dean, and Courtney talked about various things; Dean felt like he was apart of a family again. It was a great feeling.

Dean's fingers ran gently over Apple's side as he watched her sleep. She was so beautiful; is this what life would be like if he was allowed to live normally? Could he have really married Apple? Dean found the answer to his question was a simple yes; he could have married her.

Sighing, he turned over and climbed out of bed. He walked to the bathroom and flipped the light on. Splashing cold water on his face, he tried to get rid of the sudden intense heat he felt. He studied his reflection in the mirror and jumped as he saw Apple standing behind him. Turning to face her, he felt his face fall; she wasn't there. He looked back at the mirror and she stared back, though she looked just as shocked to see him.

"Dean?"

"Apple?" His fingers pressed against the cool mirror and swore he felt the warmth of her hand pressing back.

Suddenly, he was outside looking at his house. He cried out as flames began to eat at the roof of the house. He ran to the door and turned the handle; it wouldn't budge. He pounded on the door and attempted to kick it open, but nothing worked.

"Apple! Sam! Someone!" He called but no one came. Kicking himself, he couldn't believe he hadn't tried the window. He used his fist to bust the glass and entered the living room. He looked around and watched as flames surrounded the house. Running to little Sammy's room, he threw the door open. His eyes widened as he realized the room was completely empty; no signs of a baby ever having been in the room.

He tried his and Apple's room next but there was no sign of her, there wasn't any sign of his Sammy or Courtney either. Dean felt despair drag him down as it dawned on him that this had been nothing but a sick joke. He felt himself lose consciousness as the flames from the fire crashed over him.

(nothing better – the postal service; i'll follow you into the dark – death cab for cutie)


	22. chapter twentyone

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

**And all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me  
****Chapter Twenty-One**

Apple pulled her hand away from the mirror in shock. His voice replayed in her mind; she missed the way her name sounded on his lips. She could've sworn she had felt the flesh of his palm on hers. Needless to say, Apple was freaking out slightly. Dean had been gone for a year now, and all of the sudden she was starting to see him? That would freak anyone out, she was sure.

Her eyes wandered back to the mirror slowly, her heart wishing more than anything to see his green eyes starring back into hers. But she was disappointed, there was no Dean, only Apple. Her arms wrapped themselves tightly around herself as she stared blankly at her reflection.

Finally, she decided she should probably get some sleep. Maybe that's what had happened. Her mind was playing cruel tricks on her from lack of sleep. That had to be it. She sighed as she gathered her things and stepped out of the bathroom. Depositing her belongings by her bag, she took one last look around before slipping into bed beside Sam.

X – X – X – X

Sam had never seen Apple so jittery. She constantly looked around the room, tapped one of her feet, and jumped at every noise. He hadn't said anything yet, but he knew he'd have to soon. As they climbed into the Impala, after having finished researching for a case, he decided to ask.

"Apple, what's wrong?"

"What? Oh, nothing. I just... too much caffeine?" She offered, but she knew her answer didn't sound very convincing at all.

"Apple, come on. What's the matter?"

Apple turned in her seat slightly but stopped as something caught her eye. She stared across the street; this couldn't be happening to her, hadn't she suffered enough? Her eyes stayed glued to the man beside the stop sign, it was Dean. She swore on her life it was him. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his jacket as he stared at the Impala.

"Sam? Do you- do you see that?" Apple asked as she pointed to the street sign.

"What? Apple, there's nothing there."

Shaking her head, she sighed. "No, he's right there. Please, you can't see him?" Blue eyes connected with green as the man watched her sadly. "It was Dean. I swear it was him," she said as she slid back into the passenger's seat.

"Come on, I think you need some sleep." Sam said, his voice almost sounding hurt.

Apple nodded slowly as she looked back at the stop sign. This wasn't fair! Why was this happening to her? She looked back at the road in front of them as Sam drove them back to motel.

X – X – X – X

Her joke wasn't funny. Why would Apple say things like that? She knew the hell they'd been through, she knew how far they'd come; why would she screw it all up now? Saying she saw Dean, wasn't funny. He carded his fingers through his hair as he watched the girl sleep.

"Bobby," Sam said as heard the other man pick up his line. "Something isn't right."

"What's wrong?"

"Apple. She said-" Sam took a breath as he prepared to continue. "She said she saw Dean at some stop sign in town. You think maybe we can stop by for a few days?"

Bobby fell silent for a moment before he replied. "Yeah, you know you can. I'll see you later."

Sam sighed as he kicked his shoes off and sat down in one of the chairs in their room. Was Apple going crazy? It just didn't seem like her. She was usually reserved, and cautious of what she was saying to others. But the words she had said, they were unguarded and almost... scared. He rubbed the heels of his palms over eyes, trying to erase the feeling of exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him.

"What am I going to do?" He asked the sleeping girl quietly.

X – X – X – X

Apple was dreaming, she was sure of it; she had to be. She was sitting in the front seat of the Impala, Dean right beside her. She couldn't breathe anymore, she couldn't think; everything about him seemed to overload her senses. Looking away from the man beside her, she stepped out the car.

He was close behind her; she could feel every step he took as if it were her own. His arms encircled her waist as he laid a gentle kiss on the side of her neck. Apple's head lifted slightly to rest on his shoulder as she looked up at the stars that seemed to cover the sky like a blanket. Never in her life had Apple ever felt so at peace. The comfort of Dean's arms was more than anything she could ever wish for. A tear slid down her cheek as she remembered it was only a dream; only a sad dream that had never happened and never would.

"Why do you keep doing this to me?" Her voice whispered as she tried to hide the angst she was feeling.

"Because, I promised I'd watch after you."

"It's been a year, Dean." Apple said as she turned in his grasp, facing him; his hold never loosening as she moved. "It's been a year, why the hell are you suddenly showing up now?" She demanded.

"I figured I'd do you a favor. It's hard to go this long without seeing my beautiful face." He said as gave her his patented Dean Winchester look. The one that said, 'Yes, I know I'm too attractive for my own good. Continue to adore me.' Clearly, he was amused with his oh so witty answer.

"It's not funny. Stop looking at me like that." She said as she closed her eyes. Opening them slightly, she saw he was still giving her his 'look'. "Dean. I can't be angry with you when you look at me like that."

"That's the point."

"Dean, I'm serious."

Dean frowned slightly. "Don't ruin this Apple-pie. Can we just enjoy this?" A sadness filled his eyes as he looked up at the starry sky.

"Alright." Apple agreed, her resolve crumbling at the look in his eyes.

X – X – X – X

"Apple, hey. Come on. Wake up."

Apple opened one eye slightly, then managed to open the other. She stared up at Sam who was standing over her. "What's wrong?"

"We gotta head out, remember? We have that case in Dallas, the one about the malevolent male spirit? The one that seemed to be focused on killing women? Ringing any bells?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah. I'm up. I'm gonna change real quick."

Apple sighed as she put her feet her to the ground, groaning slightly. Why was she so tired and sore all the time? Finally she made it to her bag and dragged it into the bathroom. It took her a few minutes, and plenty of water on her face before she was able to wake up; she definitely needed coffee. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and watched the mirror carefully. Once she was sure Dean wasn't going to randomly show up in again, she threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Ready?"

"Yeah, let me just put my shoes on. What's your rush anyway?" Apple asked as she closed the bathroom door behind her. She plopped into a chair and quickly tied her laces.

"I've just been ready to go for the past hour. You didn't budge, not even after I called your name and shook you. I was about to get some ice water." He joked, though something told Apple he was dead serious.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I've just been... unusually tired lately. It's probably just a cold." Apple threw on Dean's leather jacket and grabbed her bag.

X – X – X – X

The drive so far had been way too quiet for Apple's liking. Sam's hazel eyes remained on the road; though she could have sworn from time to time she could feel his gaze on her. After a while, Apple closed her eyes and resigned herself to a nap. Sleeping was about the only thing Apple could do now; there wasn't much to stay awake for anyway.

"Hey, Apple. Wake up."

Apple opened her eyes and looked around. It was dark out and she glanced at the clock, which revealed it was well past midnight. "Where are we?"

"South Dakota."

"Sam, you realize that that's not exactly close to Dallas right? We just kind of... moved over a state."

"I know, but I needed to see Bobby about a few things. Come on."

Shrugging her shoulders, Apple stepped out of the car and hugged the brown leather jacket tighter around her. She followed Sam up the porch stairs and to the door. They hadn't been to Bobby's house since after Dean's passing. The pair had stayed a few days, but after that both felt they needed to get away.

"Hey Bobby." Sam said as Bobby opened the front door.

Bobby pulled Sam into a hug and patted his back lightly. "Good to see you, boy." Next, he looked Apple over. She seemed to be much paler, and if it was possible, a little skinnier. He pulled her into a hug. "You too, Apple."

Apple smiled at Bobby as she hugged him back. There was something about Bobby's hugs that always seemed to comfort Apple; she supposed it was because he was like a father figure to her. "You too."

Bobby led them into his living room and told them to have a seat while he went to get them some beers. Apple smiled as she took the beer and took a sip as she looked around. "Thanks for having us, Bobby."

He smiled and nodded his head before he turned to Sam. "Sam, I didn't find much for that case you informed me about."

"What? What were you looking at?" Apple asked as he looked from Bobby to Sam.

"Uh, just... some research for your case."

"How could you not find anything? I found a lot on it."

Sam sighed next to her and Apple looked at him. "Not that case, Apple. Your case."

"My case? I have a case?"

"Sam called yesterday and told me you were seeing Dean. He asked me to-"

"So that's why we're here, Sam?" Apple cut in, turning to look at the man beside her.

"I was just... it wasn't funny, Apple."

"I never **said** it was funny, Sam. Did I look like I was joking? Why the hell would I joke about seeing Dean? He's dead! You don't think I know that?" She practically yelled. Apple stood to her feet and placed the bottle of beer on the coffee table.

"We're just worried. We wanted to see if there was anything we could find out about why you might have been seeing him."

"Might have been..." Apple repeated in disgust. "I didn't maybe see him. I **saw** him; with my own eyes. People see ghosts all the time!"

"But, we cremated him, remember? He shouldn't be hanging around." Sam pointed out.

"Look, I don't know, okay? I don't know why I'm seeing Dean. You can think I'm crazy, or trying to pull your leg all your want. But the point is I'm not lying. I saw Dean! Okay?" Neither men said anything and Apple heaved a sigh as she turned from them. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to take my crazy self to bed now. Goodnight."

X – X – X – X

"She's been sleeping a lot lately." Sam said as he and Bobby moved to the kitchen. Sam's fingers tapped lightly on the table as he looked around. "And it gets harder and harder to wake her up."

"Well, I don't think she's makin' this stuff up. You know how she usually is, she was too persistent about this. I think she might really be seeing Dean."

"How is that possible? He's dead, Bobby. Plus we cremated him. She **shouldn't** be seeing him."

Bobby sighed as he took a seat next to Sam. "I don't know. We'll try to figure it out. But she needs our help and doesn't need us thinkin' she's crazy."

X – X – X – X

After their talk, Bobby had excused himself saying he was an old man and needed his beauty rest. Sam let out a small forced chuckle and watched the man leave the room. He sighed as he finished his beer and checked his watch. Apple had been asleep for about an hour, he supposed it couldn't hurt if he went an checked on her. This would be the first time she'd slept alone; he wondered if she was alright.

His hazel eyes looked over at the woman as she tossed and turned in her bed. He guessed she wasn't doing to well on her own. He took a seat on the side of the bed and watched her silently. He needed help with her, there had to be someone in her past that could help. Problem was, no one know much about Apple's past. The only thing Sam knew for sure was the fall out she had had with her family; simply put, they had ditched her. He sighed as she spotted her cellphone on the bedside table.

Grabbing her phone off of the nightstand, he began to search through it. There weren't many contacts in it; only one stood out to him. It was the only woman's name and Sam figured it was worth a shot. He scrolled down and highlighted the name before he looked at it one more time. Courtney. Looking down at the sleeping girl, he pushed 'send' and walked out of the room.

(ghost of you - my chemical romance)


	23. chapter twentytwo

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

**Burning, I'm not used to seeing you  
Chapter Twenty-two**

Dean's head hurt; hell, his whole body hurt. He wasn't sure where he was now. Before he realized it, he had somehow gotten into a completely different room. It was like a jail cell almost. There was a bed and that was about it. Every once in a while food would appear through a slot in the door. Dean was surprised and often wondered if he was indeed in jail instead of hell.

He laid down on his bed and looked up slightly as he heard the slot in the door open; speaking of food. Dean didn't make a move though, he just laid back and closed his eyes.

His dreams, which he had surprisingly a lot of now; consisted of Apple, and sometimes Sam. They were different every time he closed his eyes. Sometimes he would have to watch his brother, or Apple die. Sometimes they would get married, separately of course. And sometimes, well sometimes he'd be in his dreams and he'd be happy with them.

The last dream he had consisted of Apple, his Impala, and a starry night. It had been one of his better dreams. And it still surprised him every time he saw her, she still managed to ignite those feelings he had for her. Dream or not, it felt real; every dream felt real. In the dreams where Sam or Apple would die, he felt just as guilty; no matter how many times he reminded himself they were dreams. But then again, for all he knew Apple and Sam could be dead by now.

Sighing, he turned over and tried to relax. It didn't take Dean long to fall asleep; soon his head was filled with Sam. He watched as his brother sat on down on Apple's bed and watched her sleep.

Something soft touched Dean's shoulder and he looked up, surprised to find Apple behind him. "He's worried, you know."

Dean's breath caught in his throat, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She came around and stood by his side.

"I'm not sure. I think I'm dreaming."

"You look like hell," she muttered as she studied him. He was covered in bruises and dried blood was on the corner of his mouth. She reached out with her thumb and carefully wiped the blood away.

"Well, you don't look too good yourself. Though, I gotta say, vampire's a hot look for you. And God, when are you gonna start eating again?"

Apple rolled her eyes. "Dean."

"Okay, okay. Sorry. What happened to you?"

"I don't know. I wish I did. All I know is something isn't right."

"You're telling me. We keep running into each other, I don't see why though. I'm dead."

"Yeah." Apple said sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Dean just stared at her. "Oh, you mean your comment. You shouldn't be, it's just the truth."

"Yeah, but it sure doesn't make it any easier."

Apple shrugged her shoulders. "I wonder if this is what I'm dreaming about," she said as she looked at her sleeping self.

"You're moving around too much."

"Well, I'm walking around."

"Yeah, but your movements are too jerky." Apple conceded with a small nod. "How's Sammy?"

"He's been okay. He's just been worried about me lately, and I really hate that."

"It's not your fault."

"Oh?"

"Well, if you don't even know what's going on with you, then how can it be your fault?"

"I've got to go Dean."

"What?"

"Dean, I have to go." Apple repeated, sadness in her eyes. She gave him a small smile before she kissed his cheek.

X – X – X – X

"The hell?" Dean muttered as sat up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around the dark cell. What kind of dream was that? He'd never had one like that before. It was probably just another false dream. All of the dreams he had were probably false. This was hell after all, he could never trust anything here; even the things in his head.

He sighed as he laid back and closed his eyes once more.

X – X – X – X

"Apple? Honey?"

Apple's eyes fluttered open as an unfamiliar voice flooded her ears. When was there ever a female around them? She was the only female that had been around.

"What?" She mumbled as her eyes landed on a blond haired woman. "Oh my God."

"Well, no. It's Courtney actually. Remember me? We ran around in diapers, sang into the ends of hairbrushes, had **way** too much tequila on your twenty-first birthday?"

"Courtney, what're you doing here?"

"That's not exactly the greeting I was looking for." The blond frowned as she looked her best friend over. "What happened to you anyway? Did Sam take away your food and sunlight privileges? He's pretty cute, you know."

"Courtney." Apple said, trying to get her friend to make her point. "Why are you here?"

"Right. Well, Sam was worried and called me. I tell you he has the best phone voice? Jeez. Well anyway, he told me you hadn't been taking proper care of yourself and wondered if I could help out."

"I'm gonna kill Sam."

"Hey, no killing of the Sam. I like him. Now tell me what's been going on."

Apple sighed as she laid back down. "I really don't feel like talking about this."

"Well too bad, because you are. Now, spill."

"Fine." Apple looked around the room before staring into the blue eyes of the woman who had once been like a twin to her. "Dean died."

"Dean?"

"Sam didn't tell you about Dean?"

"No. Not really; he just said you'd been having some trouble after the death of a friend. Said it'd been a year and you were... well, acting strange."

"Dean was his brother, and I... well we had gotten really close." Apple explained.

"Liar. You fell in love with him. I can see it in your eyes." The blond said smartly with a firm nod.

"Fine. Yes, I fell in love. He died, okay? I was a wreck for a while, but then... things got to be okay. Then just recently... I've been..." Apple paused. She knew there was going to be one more person to add to her list of those who thought she was an insane basket-case. "I've been seeing him. Everywhere. In my dreams, in random places, I don't understand it."

Courtney rubbed her friend's shoulder comfortingly. "You're not crazy, you know. To be honest, it kind of sounds like something I've heard before. I just can't remember what exactly it was."

Apple quirked her eyebrow at her friend. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. But hey, don't worry about anything okay? I'm going to help you figure this out. 'Kay?"

"Yeah." Apple pulled her friend into a hug. "Hey, I'm really glad you're here. Sorry I haven't kept in touch."

"It's alright. Looks like you've had your hand full with two outstanding and pretty boys. If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go catch up with dear Sam."

Chuckling, Apple watched her best friend disappear from the room. Okay, so maybe she wouldn't have to kill Sam after all. Apple slid out of bed and grabbed a change of clothes before she made her way to the bathroom.

X – X – X – X

"I can't believe you thought she was joking!" Courtney exclaimed as her and Sam sat at the kitchen table.

"What was I supposed to think? She was talking about seeing my brother, who's been gone for over a year now."

"Still, Apple's not the kind of person who would ever joke about someone's death. Let alone joke about seeing them again."

Courtney shook her blond head as she took a drink of her coke. She looked around the kitchen before her eyes stopped on Sam's face. Her blue eyes scanned over his face and took in every feature. His puppy like features were almost endearing to her, which was strange considering she hadn't known the man very long at all. She watched as his lips moved, then realized he must have been talking to her.

"What?" She asked as she zoned back in.

"I was asking how you had gotten into the whole hunting thing."

"Oh, I'm not really into it. I mean, Apple and I trained together as kids, and continued on as we grew up. But it never stuck with me, I was never interested in it. I wanted my own life, you know?"

"Yeah, I understand that. More than you know."

"So, after high school, Apple and I parted ways. She went off with her family and I went to college. Though, Apple and I kept in contact of course; you can't throw away eighteen or nineteen years of friendship that easily."

"What do you do now?"

"I'm a journalist, actually."

Sam found it interesting; Courtney and her way of life. He had been like her once. But he had left that behind in pursuit of finding Yellow-eyes with his brother and dad. Even after they had found him, Sam stayed with the hunting life. It seemed to fit better than anything else.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive." Sam said as he smiled at her. It was the first time in a while that Sam had smiled; a true smile anyway. It actually felt pretty nice.

"You have a nice smile, Sam." Courtney observed, flashing him a smile of her own. She found it amusing how his entire face seemed to turn red at her compliment. This was going to be easier than she thought.

"Uh, thanks." Sam replied, cursing his blush to hell.

X – X – X – X

"You remember when I told you your story sounded familiar?" Courtney asked as the group sat around the living room after they had eaten a late dinner. She sipped on her beer and looked at Apple.

Apple raised her feet off the ground and tucked them under herself. "Yeah, what about it?"

"I remembered the story."

"What story?" Sam asked as she looked at the blond haired girl beside him.

"It was a story Apple's grandma told us when we were kids. It was about a man and a woman who were very much in love, the man had cancer you see? Well, neither were ready to let go. So, before the husband passed away he stared deeply into her eyes for what felt like ever. Somehow, half of their souls got exchanged. Simply put, the man received half of her soul, while she in return got half of his soul. Kind of like some kind of binding ritual, you know?" Courtney took another sip of beer before she continued. "Anyway, the man died the next day and woman was devastated, of course. So one year went by, right? Well, the woman's body began to fail and she ended up dying not long after that. The man came to collect her and his part of her soul, thus bringing them back together. Her soul couldn't survive very long without his."

"So all of that reminded you of me and my issue of seeing Dean?" Apple asked, though she didn't sound too certain of her friend's logic.

"In a matter of speaking, yeah."

"I've never heard of that." Bobby said from across the room.

"Well, it's not a well known story. I dunno, it was just a story her grandma told us, who knows where the woman heard it from though. No offense, Apple."

"None taken. The woman had always been a bit... crazy."

"You think that could be true?" Sam asked.

"Eh. Who knows really. I'm sure it's just a story." Courtney reassured him. "Well kids, I think I'm going to bed. You coming Apple?"

"Oh, yeah." Apple rose from her chair and stood by the blond. "Night boys."

X – X – X – X

"Dean, what are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just watching you."

"Why?"

"Since when do I, Dean Winchester, ever have to have a reason for doing anything?"

"Since you've been staring at me for the past five minutes." Apple muttered as she opened her eyes and stared into his warm, bright green ones.

"You're haunting me, you know that?"

"I'm haunting you? The last time I checked, you were the one that was dead. Not me."

Dean chuckled as he put his chin lightly on Apple's chest, looking up through his eyelashes. "You're pretty."

"Well, you're not too bad yourself, bright eyes." Apple laughed softly as she motioned with her index finger to get him closer to her.

"What do you want, Delaney?"

"Oh nothing, Winchester. Nothing at all." Apple whispered as she pressed her forehead against Dean's; her breath ghosting across his lips. She pulled back with a small grin on her face.

"Oh, you little tease," Dean huffed, glaring at her playfully.

"Whatcha gonna do about it?"

"Hm, nothing," he said innocently as he let his hands fall to her sides. For a second it seemed as if he wasn't going to do anything. Suddenly his fingers began to run up and down her sides, occasionally pinching her.

"Dean! Stop it!" Apple managed to get out between laughs. "It's not funny!" She said as she tried to glare at him for laughing at her. Moving from side to side, she attempted to get him to lay off. "Dean!"

"Fine, fine. Just say I'm the hottest, most gorgeous man to ever grace the earth."

"Dean, you're the hottest, most gorgeous man to ever grace the earth." It took a bit of work, but eventually she was able to get it out. She laid beneath him, trying to get her breathing back to normal. That wasn't at all accomplished as Dean took her lips with his, leaving her even more breathless than before. "I hate you," she mumbled as she stared into his green eyes.

"No, you don't. You love me, I make you weak in the knees, and it's always harder to breathe when I'm around," he informed her, a grin crossing his lips.

"Oh? And how would you know that?"

"Because that's what you do to me; every time I see you."

(all around me - flyleaf)


	24. chapter twentythree

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

Author's Note #2 - So, this series is coming to a close. As much as I hate to say that. There will probably only be three more chapters (including an epilogue) if I've planned that out correctly. Anyway, so thanks to everyone's that reviewed and read the story. I really appreciate it. (:

**'Cause you hold my secrets tight  
****Chapter Twenty-three**

Apple stood to the side as she watched the scene play out before her. She remembered the exact time this had happened, every feeling she felt, every color, every movement, every noise; she remembered it all exactly.

"Apple, remember what I told you? No matter what, I'm going to protect you and Sam. If anything goes wrong for me, you look after Sammy. I'll always be watching over you two." Dean said as he kissed her forehead lightly. Blue eyes stared deeply into green, so many things were said between them in an instant, and that moment would forever haunt Apple.

Apple watched as she leaned up and pressed her lips to his, kissing him with everything they'd never said, she had wanted him to be able to feel her forever. God, she could still feel him, every inch of her felt him; she ached for him desperately.

X – X – X – X

"Apple, hey. Brought you some coffee."

Apple looked around and settled her eyes on her blond haired friend. "Thanks, Court. I really can't tell you how much I appreciate you coming back for me."

"Honey, it's my job. Always and forever, right? Best friends till the end and all that." She heard Apple give a half hearted chuckled, then sighed. "What's the matter Appley?"

"Just... thinking."

"'Bout what?"

"That story, my grandma never told it to us." Apple said suddenly after a moment of silence.

"Yeah, she did. You don't remember?"

"I remember a lot of the things my grandma said, and she never told us any story like that."

Courtney ran her fingers through her blond tresses, biting her lip in thought. "So you think I made all that up?"

"I'm not stupid, Court. You know what's happening to me, don't you?"

"Damn it." Court said, sighing softly. "You're making my job harder than it should be, Apple."

"What job?"

"That story wasn't just a story, it's life. It's reality. It's you and Dean."

"The hell?"

"Apple, you remember that moment by the door in New Harmony? With you and Dean?"

"Yeah, how did you know about that?"

"I have my ways. Listen, when you kissed him, you two connected in a way very few can. You gave a piece of your soul to him, and he to you."

"So, you're telling me... you knew about this the whole time?"

"Well... yeah, I did. I'm going to be completely honest with you, like I always am, okay? Your life is coming to an end Apple. Dean's been gone for a year, and now you're going to have to set things straight. Because pretty soon, you're going to be leaving."

"Court... you're crazy."

"I'm not, Apple. And you know deep down, this was coming. You could feel it, you know you could."

"I can't just... leave, Courtney! What about Sam, I promised I'd watch after him! I made a promise to Dean." Apple argued.

"He's in good hands, Appley. I'll be taking care of him, he's my next job. Now, we need to get you settled. You've got one more thing to do, one more person to save."

"Who? Who is there left to save?"

"Dean."

X – X – X – X

"You're serious?" Sam asked as he looked at Apple in shock.

"Sam, how many times have I ever lied to you?"

Sam sighed as he looked down at the rug below his feet. Apple hadn't lied to them, but this was almost too unbelievable. Even for them it was crazy, he was half tempted to lock Apple in an insane asylum. She couldn't honestly be insisting she was dying. There was no way. Sure she didn't look all that well, but dying?

"Look, Sam, I know this sounds completely absurd. But I know this is right, I know it is. It's the only explanation as to why I'm so tired, so weak." Apple argued, trying to make him see her point.

She hadn't bothered to tell Sam this had all come from Courtney, the blond girl who sat beside him; hand resting comfortingly on his shoulder. No, she had told them it had come to her in a dream; she always trusted her dreams and feelings. Though, the feelings more than the dreams. They didn't exactly need to know that part.

"Apple, how can you be sure?" Bobby asked.

"I can't. But I have a feeling this is right, my feelings are never wrong."

"You can't do this, Apple."

"Sam! I'm dying! Okay? I'm dying, this is going to happen whether you accept it or not."

Sam looked at her, anger burning in his eyes. She'd never seen that look before and it scared her beyond words. "Apple. You are not going to die. There's a way out of this. Damn it! I lost Dean, and I won't lose you too. It's not going to happen."

"I'm sorry, Sam." Apple said as she turned from them, a tear running down her cheek. "It's gonna save him, Sam. It's going to save Dean."

"You don't know that!" Sam yelled as he stood to his feet and stalked after the brunette, turning her around quickly. "You don't know that!" He repeated. "Dean told me to watch after you. You dying is not an option okay?"

"Sam, my dying isn't exactly my choice. I can't help it." Her voice was calm now, her breathing steady, and the look in her eyes was nothing but complete and totally honesty. "Sam, I know what Dean told you. I was there. But this, this is bigger than you and me. Bigger than all of us. I need you to accept this, and let me go."

"Sam," Courtney said as she appeared at the side. "Apple's right. We all have to accept this. Think of it like this, you wanted a way to save Dean, right? Here's your chance, Dean will be safe and out of hell."

"But how do you know?"

"We don't, Sam. But we have faith that it'll be okay."

"How can you have faith?" Sam asked, not believing a word they said.

"Because everyone needs something to believe in right? Even us, in this crazy world we live in; we need hope and faith."

Sam sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. This was insane. With one last sigh, he nodded his head. "If you truly think this is what's going to happen, then fine. Just let me know what I need to do."

X – X – X – X

"So how did you know?" Apple asked Court that night as the two sat on opposite sides of the bed.

"I'm just awesome like that."

"Court, come on. I think I deserve to know. Sam just happens to find your number in my phone, you just happen to show up here in record time, and you just happen to know what's going on with me? That's not coincidence. And 'your job'?" Apple used her fingers to make quotation marks around the words 'your job'. Lowering her hands, she waited for Court to explain.

Court sighed as she looked up. "Just think of me as your guardian angel. Minus the wings and halos and all that crap. I was sent to watch over you, get you through this, and then move on to the next thing."

"Next thing being?"

"Sam."

"You were sent to watch over Sam?"

"Well, yeah. You didn't think that poor boy would get left with absolutely no one did you? Please. He's too adorable to be left all alone."

Apple had to chuckle at this. After she'd found out about... well, herself; she'd been extremely worried about leaving Sam behind. Dean had entrusted Sam's care to her, she wouldn't be able to live with herself if anything happened to him.

"So, you're really angel?"

"Yep. Flesh and blood, kinda... anyway. I mean, come on. It can't be that hard to believe. There's evil and demons and stuff, so why can't there be good and angels too?"

"Dunno, guess we just never hear much about them."

"Yeah, well. They're always around, whether you hear from or about them or not. They're there. Always watching over their charges." Courtney said as she looked around the bare room.

"What exactly am I supposed to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when I save Dean... I guess." Apple bit her lip in thought.

"Can I be honest with you?"

"When are you not?"

"Right. I've got no idea Appley. All I know is that I'm supposed to set your soul free, then after that... it's all up to you."

Apple sighed as she laid down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She wondered what she was going to be doing and where she would be heading. Well, hell of course; but would she stay there with Dean? She supposed it wouldn't do much good to worry about it.

"You scared?" Court suddenly asked from her side.

"A little. But I guess it's more because I have no idea what's going to happen. I guess that's always a scary thing, the unknown, I mean."

Court nodded her head in agreement. "You're going to be okay though, you and Dean both. You'll be alright." Apple's eyes closed as she tried to stifle a yawn. "Get some sleep, Apple. Tomorrow's going to be a big day for you, sweetheart."

X – X – X – X

"I can feel you, you know. You suck at hiding." Dean's voice said from the bed. Apple sighed as she moved away from the corner toward him. She sat down beside him and looked him over. He seemed paler to her, and felt a little bit colder.

"Yeah, well, never said it was my forte now did I?" She said as she ran her fingers gently over his arm. She nearly laughed at the shiver that ran through him. "You alright?"

"Eh. Doing the best I can, I'm in hell, remember?"

"Well hey, at least you're in a bed. You could be in a fire pit somewhere, that pasty, pale flesh of yours sizzling off of your bones," she pointed out.

"Nice image."

"Thanks, I practiced that."

"You're kidding?" He asked in mock disbelief.

Apple stuck her tongue out childishly at him before he pulled her down onto him. "Oh Dean, I love when you take control!" She teased as she let out a horribly girlish giggle.

"Oh, you do, do you?" He rolled them over, he held himself up over her. "How's that?"

"Oh, much, much better." Apple lightly captured his head between her hands, his stubble tickling her palms. She stared deeply into his now dark green eyes.

"Sex in hell? This is my type of place."

"In your dreams, babe."

"Well, this _is_ my dream, isn't it?"

"Such a pig." Apple said before placing a quick kiss on his lips.

"Point. But, if I remember correctly, I'm _your_ pig." Apple chuckled as Dean landed on top of her.

"Dean!" She cried as the breath was knocked out of her. "The hell?"

"Sorry." He laughed as he pulled her into his arms, her head resting on his chest. "I don't wanna wake up."

"I know, Dean. I don't either."

"Will you sing to me?"

"Are you serious?"

"It calms me down alright?"

Apple laughed as she nodded her head. "Alright, alright." She paused for a moment as she tried to think of the last song she'd heard. "So close, so far, so long the world spin me away." Apple sighed as she felt Dean's fingers run through her hair. She looked up at him before continuing. "I drive all night just to see your face; the way you touch, the way you taste. Even if only for a day, I'll come back to you someday."

Dean shot up, his head hitting the top bunk of the bed. "Son of a bitch." He muttered before he quickly shut up. He listened intently, and could've sworn he heard Apple's voice as it sang on. "It's always the same, constant change; but I'll come back to you someday." That couldn't be right, he was awake now. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes before he laid back down and drifted off to sleep once more.

(la la – ashlee simpson; someday – bryan greenberg)


	25. chapter twentyfour

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

**You touched my heart, you touched my soul  
****Chapter Twenty-four**

"You really believe this?" Sam asked Court as they sat at the kitchen table. Court smiled up at Bobby as he sat cups of coffee in front of them.

"Yeah, Sam. I do."

"What about you Bobby?"

"I dunno, kid. In our line of work, any thing's possible." Bobby took a drink of his coffee before he sat down beside the pair. "Anything is possible," he repeated.

"It's just..."

"You've gotta let her do this, Sam. Can't you tell how hard it is for her to keep living like this? You've watched her get progressively worse." Courtney pointed out as she put a hand on his arm. Sam just looked down at, surprised at how warm and okay it made him feel.

"I guess. It's just losing two people you love and care about in the span of a year and a month or so? It's hard."

"I know, but there's not much you can do about it. Like she said, she's going to die, we just need to accept that."

Sam nodded his head sadly. It hurt Courtney to see him like that, the poor boy had been through enough. He'd lost nearly everyone he loved. Courtney was sure she could help him, she'd make him feel better. It was her job, and oddly enough, she couldn't be more thankful. Being with Sam wasn't going to be that difficult, she liked the boy already; more than she should.

"Hey, Sam. Can I talk to you for a second?" Apple called from her position in the doorway. Sam nodded his head and followed the girl into the living room.

X – X – X – X

"Sam, I'm sorry." Apple apologized as she gripped his large hands in her smaller ones.

"For what?"

"For all of this. I never intended for this to happen. I don't think anyone saw this coming, obviously. But, it's going to save Dean, and I'll find some way to make sure you know that."

"How?"

Apple shrugged her small shoulders. "I'm not sure, but I'll find a way. You'll know we'll be okay. Thank you for trusting me though this all sounds completely insane."

"I just, what am I supposed to do when you're gone, Apple? It's like I keep losing everyone."

"Yeah, but it's not your fault. It's really not. And you know that. Courtney's going to stick around for a while, you know. After I'm... well, you know. Keep an eye on you for me; she promised."

"Really?" Sam seemed to get a bit flustered as she told him this and he couldn't understand this. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and blushed slightly. "That's nice of her."

"Yeah, it is." Apple nodded in agreement. "She'll stick around for as long as you need her to. But you're going to be alright, you know that right? Your brother loved you, that's why he sacrificed so much for you. He loved you and wanted to keep you safe. And you know I love you, you've become like a brother to me and I truly value that. You were amazing after Dean died, we both fell apart but you managed to still, somehow keep it together. You're going to be just fine, Sam."

Sam offered a weak nod before he pulled the brunette girl into a hug. "I'm going to miss you, Apple. Thanks, for everything."

"Anytime, Sam. Anytime."

X – X – X – X

Later that night, Bobby, Sam, and Courtney gathered around Apple's bed. They each placed a light kiss on her forehead. Everyone remained silent, unsure of what to say. Apple never imagined her death would be like this; peaceful. She wasn't even scared anymore, she was ready. She'd always thought her death would involve pain, and blood shed on some random hunt somewhere.

"This isn't going to hurt, Apple. You won't feel a thing, promise."

Apple nodded slightly as she looked up into Courtney's blue eyes, finding warmth and comfort. "Alright, well guess I can rub a girl saving Dean's ass into his face huh? Who would've thought; macho man saved by small brunette. This ought to be fun."

They chuckled slightly as they looked at her. Apple leaned up and grabbed Courtney, bringing her lips to her ear. "Take care of Sam, okay?"

"You know I will, Apple."

"I'll see you guys around... I guess." Apple said with a shrug of her shoulders. She laid back down and looked up at the ceiling, fighting back tears the whole time.

Sam placed one last kiss to Apple's cheek, whispering in her ear for her to take care of Dean once she found him. Apple nodded her head as a tear managed to slide down her cheek. Court put her hand on Apple's cheek and ran it down till it rested over her heart.

"Goodbye, Apple," she said quietly.

Apple felt as if she was slipping out of her body, her eyes closed and one last breath escaped her lips before she felt herself disappear altogether from her body.

X – X – X – X

"So it's... over?" Sam asked as he sat helplessly beside Apple's now still body.

"Yeah, it is. She's off to find Dean now."

Bobby had left Sam and Courtney to talk while he went into town get them more food and different supplies. Courtney placed her hand lightly on Sam's and squeezed.

"She said you were staying, Apple."

"Yeah. For as long as you want me around."

Sam smiled slightly at her, the thought giving him small comfort. "That's nice, you don't have to though. I'm sure your job needs you back."

"Nah. They can wait. And I want to stay, Sam." The corners of her lips lifted into a small smile as Sam squeezed her hand back. The pair looked back back at Apple's body; Courtney noticed Sam frown. "She's going to be okay, you know? Her and Dean are going to be fine. She's going to take him to a good place."

"Where?"

"Well, I'm not too sure of that, Sam. But wherever she takes him will be a good place 'cause they'll be together. And they'll be thinking of you and missing you; just like you'll be thinking of them and missing them. This is better for them both. You didn't want Dean to stay in hell, did you?"

"No."

"This is a better alternative then, see?" She watched as Sam nodded his head, and his hazel eyes locked with her blue ones.

"How do you know all about this?" He asked, his tone taking on a suspicious kind of night.

"I just have faith, Sam."

X – X – X – X

Apple wasn't sure where she was now. All she knew was that it was hot, almost unbearably so. Apple could've kicked herself for not figuring it out sooner, she was in hell. Thank God, no one could see into her brain, they'd be laughing at her stupidity.

It was scary down here, and the weird part was... no one seemed to notice her presence. She passed a group of demons watching over, what seemed to be, a fire pit. Curiosity got the best of her and she quickly wished she hadn't walked over to them. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked down into the pit, a woman lay on the ground writhing in pain as the flesh was burned from her very bones.

"Oh." Apple gasped as she backed away. She needed to find Dean and get them out of here, fast. There was a problem, she had no idea where Dean would be, or how she would get them out. And where would they go after she had gotten him? Apple sighed as she tried to remember some of her dreams.

Some involved a mock jail cell, and she wondered if those were real. She supposed it couldn't hurt to go look; anything was possible.

X – X – X – X

Sam, Bobby, and Courtney stood around Apple's body. They watched sadly as the flames consumed her body. Courtney turned her head and rested it his chest, sobbing quietly. Even though Courtney knew this was going to happen, it still hurt all the same. She'd known Apple for a long time, she'd pretty much been Court's other half. Losing her hurt her just as bad, despite knowing the brunette's future.

"Come on, let's get you back in side." Sam said quietly to Courtney as he led the blond girl into the house. One arm wrapped around her shoulders, as the other scooped her legs from under her. He carried her as if she weighed nothing at all, because well, it felt like just that.

He laid her gently on the bed, and pulled the blanket over the blond's shivering body. "Sam." He heard her say weakly as she peered up at him through red rimmed eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Don't leave me." Sam looked around for a minute, unsure of whether staying with her was the best idea. But his heart ached for her, and for himself. Why shouldn't they have some bit of comfort, it was only fair.

"Alright." With that, Sam laid beside her. He wrapped his arms protectively around the blond and was shocked at how completely... okay it felt. He waited for her breathing to even out before he decided sleeping couldn't hurt.

X – X – X – X

She was lost. Why did hell have to be so big? Apple stopped and leaned against a disgusting looking wall, she quickly pulled away as she felt something poke her back. It was a bony finger, it seemed to be stuck inside the wall. Ugh. She wanted out of hell now.

Apple rested her head in her hands and took a few deep, calming breaths. She felt a tugging at her heart suddenly, and her feet began to walk of their own accord.

She passed multiple demons, they stood as pillars of smoke around her. It was weird to see them out of a human body, she assumed they took some other shape. But she saw she was wrong. Her feet continued past them, past tortured human souls, toward various room and finally she stopped at a set of cells.

A bright light surrounded Apple as she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on the cells. She could almost hear Dean calling out to her. As she opened her eyes, she was shocked at the sight she found.

Her feet continued on a little way until she stopped completely at a rusty iron door. She placed her hand lightly on the door. Taking a deep breath, she paused as the feeling of Dean washed over. She smiled slightly, knowing she had finally found him.

(gooodbye my lover - james blunt)


	26. chapter twentyfive

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

Author's Note #2 - Sorry this one took me a little longer to get out. A couple things happend here I had to take care of, anyway. Thanks for the reviews, and I'm glad everyone's seemed to enjoy the story. I had a nice time writing it. (: Anyway, this is the basically the last chapter. But, I am currently writing an epilogue which should be out either today, or tomorrow. Monday at the lastest depending on what happens. Hope you guys have enjoyed it, and thank you so much for reading.

**May angels lead you in  
****Chapter Twenty-five**

Sam stirred, his hazel eyes opening to stare at the dust particles that floated through the streams of sunlight. He sighed as he turned over and away from the light. He was almost shocked to find Courtney in bed beside him. The events of the day before ran through his mind. His heart clenched and unclenched as he remembered having to burn Apple's body. It occurred to him that having Courtney beside him was actual a comfort more than anything. The warmth of her body beside him made him feel almost alive, which he thought would be difficult to feel again given the circumstances.

"Hey," Courtney mumbled as she opened her eyes slightly.

"Morning." Sam said in reply. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright, I guess. You?"

"I was thinking about leaving Bobby's today. I just don't know if staying here anymore is good for me, or for you."

Courtney nodded her head as she sat up. She looked around the room and stared out the window, the sun shined through attempting to brighten their day. She sighed as she ran her fingers lightly through her blond hair. Sam watched her actions intently, wondering what it would be like to touch her hair as she did now. He shut the idea out immediately and climbed out of bed.

"I'm going to go talk to Bobby. I'll see you in the kitchen."

The blond's blue eyes watched the man as we walked out of the door and left her to herself. She closed her eyes for a minute and smiled, everything was going to be alright. She had a strong feeling that Apple and Dean were going to be okay, and safe. She also had a feeling that Sam and herself were going to be alright as well.

X – X – X – X

"Morning Bobby."

"Morning Sam. Coffee?"

Sam nodded his head as he slid into a chair at the kitchen table. He smiled slightly as Bobby handed him a cup. Sam stared at the dark liquid before looking up at Bobby once more. "I think Courtney and I are going to head out of here today."

Nodding his head in understanding, Bobby took a seat beside Sam. "You've always got this place, Sam. Just remember that. You two need anything, you can always come here."

"Thanks, Bobby. It means a lot. Hey, do you think Dean and Apple are alright?"

"I'd like to think so. You saw them together, you should know they'd both do anything for each other. They'd do anything for you too, you know."

Sam took a drink of his coffee. "I'm not sure what to do next. Do you think settling down would be a bad idea? I just... I'm not sure I can continue to hunt without Apple, or Dean. It'd just... be too hard." He sighed as he looked away from Bobby. "I just don't want Dean to be disappointed in me if I should choose to get out of the hunting business."

"Sam, you know that Dean would just want you to be happy. He always tried to give you that normal life you so desperately wanted. You need to decide what's best for you." His blue eyes watched the younger man. The poor boy had been through so much; he'd lost everyone he loved. Maybe it was time Sam got away from hunting.

"I don't know. I guess I'll figure it out. Thank you, again, Bobby."

X – X – X – X

Courtney kissed the older man's cheek as she thanked Bobby for everything he had done for them. She promised him that she would look after Sam, and that the pair would keep in touch with him. She tucked herself in to the passenger seat of the Impala and looked over at Sam.

"You going to be okay?" Her voice asked quietly.

"Yeah, I think so," Sam said just as quiet. He took one last look at Bobby before starting the engine of the Impala.

He wished so badly that Apple and Dean could be here with them. Dean would be in his rightful place behind the wheel of the car, him in the passenger seat, and Apple in the back. Sighing, he put the Impala into drive and drove away from Bobby's house.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm not sure."

X- X – X – X

Dean looked up in surprise as the door to his cell opened; the hinges squeaked in protest. He was sure he'd never seen the door actually open before. His green eyes widened as a bright white light flooded the room. What the hell?

"Dean."

"Apple?" His eyes seemed to widen even more as the brunette girl entered the room. Her face was a healthy natural color, her skin glowed, and the white summer dress she wore seemed to billow out, as if air were blowing around her. She looked positively beautiful; it nearly took Dean's breath away. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here. You don't belong in hell."

"You don't belong here either, Dean. You know that." As she took small steps toward him, Dean couldn't help but notice how she seemed to float on air. Her steps were so light and carefree. He wanted to back up, to get away from her. He knew this had to be another cruel joke hell was playing on him; this wasn't real. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled at him. "And to answer your first question, I've come to take you home."

With suspicion in his eyes, he cautiously eyed her outstretched hand. "Home?"

"That's right babe, I'm here to take you home."

"Home," he repeated.

"Yes. You really didn't think you were going to spend eternity here, did you?"

"Well, yeah."

"Dean, your soul doesn't belong in hell. It belongs to me, just like my soul belongs to you. That night, in New Harmony, when you looked into my eyes after you shut the door; do you remember that?" Dean nodded his head and waited for her to continue. "You gave a piece of your soul to me, and vice versa. You've been in purgatory, and hell has just been toying with you."

"But, Sammy..."

"He's going to be just fine. An angel's looking after him."

"An angel?" Dean questioned.

"Okay, I know it sounds weird but you're just going to have to trust me alright?"

"You're sure Sammy's going to be okay?"

"Dean. I promise Sam is going to be okay. You think I'd leave without knowing he'd be alright? He's in good hands, I promise."

"So this home..."

"You'll see. Every thing's all taken care of." Apple looked into Dean's eyes once more, "Come on, Dean. You've done your job, it's time to go home."

With one last breath and look into Apple's strong gaze, he laced his fingers with hers. "Okay." For the first time in his life, he felt nothing but peace and love.

(hear you me – jimmy eat world)


	27. epilogue

Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three(minus Ghostfacers), I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the NRFTW. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Review please. (:

**I am the luckiest  
****Epilogue**

A small chubby body made it's way up the bed, settling himself firmly in between his mom and dad. He moved around a bit, trying to get comfortable. Well, he acted as if he was trying to get get comfortable. Truthfully, he was just trying to wake his parents up. If he didn't need to sleep, they sure didn't. Besides, he was hungry.

"Dean, what are you doing?"

"I'm hungry, daddy. Pancakes?"

Sam sighed as he hoisted his son up into his arms. "Alright. But you know what you have to do first right?" Chuckling, he watched as his three year old son wiggled free of his arms and climbed on top of his mother; rocking back and forth.

"What? Dean, honey, what are you doing?" Courtney sat up and pulled her son into her arms, tickling him. Sam grinned as he watched his son squirm around in his mother's grasp.

"Mom," he groaned as he finally wiggled his way out of her hands. "Pancakes now, dad?"

Nodding his head, Sam watched as his son climbed off of the bed and ran as fast as he could toward the kitchen. "Morning Court." Sam said as he leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek.

"Morning, babe." Court laid back down and looked up at her Sam. They had come such a long way from the pain of losing Apple and Dean. She was proud of their small family and what her and Sam had accomplished. She smiled up at him, watching as he walked toward the bathroom.

"Dad!" They heard Dean yell. Courtney chuckled and willed herself out of bed. She ran her fingers through her blond hair, trying to get out any tangles. She grabbed her robe and headed for the kitchen.

Groaning, she watched as Dean began to pull out everything they needed to make breakfast; making a mess in the process. "Dean, honey. What are you doing?"

"Making breakfast."

"Uh-huh." She laughed as she began to help her son pour the ingredients into a silver mixing bowl.

Sam couldn't help but smile at the scene that greeted him. He leaned against counter and watched his son and wife. They had definitely come along way. Not a day went by that Sam didn't think about his brother and Apple; he wondered how they were and prayed they were safe. He never thought he'd get the normal life he had always wanted. Sometimes, Sam could admit that he missed hunting. But he really just missed the time spent on the road with Dean, and then later Apple.

Sighing he moved to help Courtney and Dean finish making breakfast. "Come on. Let's go watch cartoon while mama cooks the pancakes!" Dean said as he spotted his father. He tugged on his hand, and Sam playfully glared at Court's laugh.

X – X – X – X

Apple sighed as she rested a hand on Dean's shoulder. "I told you he'd be okay, didn't I?" Her hand slowly moved down his arm and to his hand, fingers grabbing it lightly. She stood with him and watched as Sam, Courtney, and their son, Dean made breakfast. Apple could've sworn Courtney had looked at them once or twice, but she erased the thought from her head.

He couldn't believe he was standing in Sam and Courtney's living room, watching his baby brother and his small family. Dean desperately wanted to call out to his brother, but if the family hadn't noticed him or Apple by now, he was sure they wouldn't hear Sam's name as it left his lips.

"Yeah. He looks really happy." Dean said quietly.

"I'm sure he is. He's in good hands, and he's got a piece of you with him."

Dean nodded his head. He couldn't help but smile at the three year old boy. The boy looked a lot like him. Dean had told Sam he'd always be there to watch over him, so he supposed his son looking like his brother was a good enough reminder of that.

"So, what's next?" Dean asked as he took one last look at his brother and turned to face the brunette behind him.

"Like I said, we go home. There are some... people you need to see."

X – X – X – X

Dean had to rub at his eyes to make sure he was actually seeing what he was seeing. He looked to Apple for reassurance; she simply smiled. No, this couldn't be right. Could it? He looked at the man and woman in front of him, and blinked once more.

"Dean," his mother said softly. She reached a hand out and placed it lightly on his shoulder before pulling him into a hug.

"Mom." Dean hugged the woman back, his mind still not able to wrap around the fact that he was hugging his mom. She pulled back and placed a hand to his cheek lightly before smiling at him. Dean's green eyes turned from his mom, looking straight into his dad's eyes. "Dad, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about not protecting Sam like you said to, for not watching out for him. I'm sorry." Dean went on, feeling ashamed as he stood before the man he had always looked up to.

"Dean, it's okay. I've watched you, all along. I know what you've done. You've looked after your brother, you saved your brother's life. I didn't exactly want you to die, but it's okay, son." John smiled at his son before pulling him into a hug.

Mary turned to Apple with a smile. "You've done a good thing, Apple. John and I can't tell you how much we appreciate everything you've done for our boys."

"I'd do it over and over again. They're amazing men, they really are." Apple smiled at John and Mary before she looked at Dean. His warm hand covered hers and he grinned.

"So what is this place?" Dean asked as he looked at his mom and dad.

"Just think of it as a hunter's paradise. We've done the jobs we needed to do, and now... now we get to be with everyone we've lost along the way. We get to have our loved ones and an actual home." John smiled down at Mary before looking at Apple and Dean.

"Come on Dean, I've got something to show you." Apple said as she tugged at Dean's hand. He took one last look at his parents before following the brunette woman.

X – X – X – X

"What is this?" Dean asked as he looked around the living room.

"This, Dean, is our house," the brunette said with a grin. "You've got your own house now, Dean. Everything you need, you have."

Dean looked around and let out a low whistle. It was fully furnished and Dean immediately walked to the refrigerator. He opened the door and pulled back with a grin. "There's beer in here."

"Of course. And I've got one more thing for you." She motioned for Dean to follow her. She opened the door to their garage and flipped on the light. Dean's eyes widened in surprise. "Now, this one is yours, the same one you had before. The one Sam has... well that's a replica."

"How?"

"Dean, the Impala is just as much a part of you as your family and I are. And how we got it here... well that's a secret I'll never tell."

Apple laughed as Dean scooped her up and twirled her around. He kissed her lips and lowered her to the ground. "I love you, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I know. And I love you."

"How did I get to be so lucky?" Dean asked as he pulled Apple back into the house. Apple shrugged her shoulders innocently as she put her lips to his ear.

"Now, how about I show you the bedroom?"

Dean raised an eyebrow as Apple walked away. A wide grin spread across his lips as he quickly followed behind the woman.

(the luckiest – ben folds)

Author's Note #2 – So that's it. That's the end of 'Miss Delaney, Where's Your Boyfriend?' I really appreciate everyone that's read and reviewed. It means a lot to me to know people like this story. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do now, this story used up quite a bit of my ideas. But, anyway, I might do a couple of random one shots, some might involved Dean/Apple. I'm not sure. But anyway, yeah. Thanks for everything. (:


	28. NEW Author's Note

Author's Note:

Hey guys! So it's been a while since I've finished this fic and I just wanted everyone to know that I will be going through and editting it. I've read it over (a few times now) and have decided I'm not too happy with the tense issue, grammar, and spelling, so I'm going to fix it. There have also been a few additions to the chapters and things have been removed. The chapter based on IMTOD is also going to be completely rewritten and the Ghostfacers episode will be written in as a side chapter. You don't necessairly have to read it but I thought it would be kind of fun to add. I'd also love to do an interview with the characters, so if you have any questions for them, please feel free to personal message or email me at imma_pirate_ or . It's not something that has to be done, but I thought it would be kind of cool and funny. I'd also thought about adding a blooper chapter, but we'll see about that. Anyway! So again, thanks for reading this story. It's my baby and I really appreciate all the awesome feedback I've been given! Love you guys! (:


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